Fire and ice
by Darkloverkitsune
Summary: Opposites attract. This statement in itself is enough to describe Sasuke and Naruto's relationship. Especially when one is a vampire and the other possesses ancient magic strong enough to destroy him. Things could get ugly, or rather, very interesting.
1. One kiss

Fire and ice

Summary: Opposites attract. This statement in itself is enough to describe Sasuke and Naruto's relationship. Especially when one's a vampire and the other possesses ancient magic strong enough to destroy him. Things could get ugly, or rather, very interesting.

Warnings: Yaoi, some alcohol and drug use, the usual. Except this time there's also vampires. And, I know I'm gonna get asked, is this SasuNaru or NaruSasu, and the answer is... both. Lol it's more fun that way, no?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything - except my laptop and my fucked up imagination that is.

Chapter 1 – One kiss

He was smiling as he drove his car back to his mansion. And he never smiled. Well, it was pretty fucking rare anyway. But he couldn't help it. And the reason for this smile was that he had just met someone. Someone special. And when you'd lived for many centuries and seen so many people it was quite an achievement to actually think that a human in particular was something special. But he did.

He turned on the radio and listened to the dance music currently on. A song called Backseat – the lyrics weren't particularly deep but the beat was catchy. Actually it was the same song as the one that had been playing at the club earlier… He relaxed in his seat as he recalled the events of the night.

…

He was sitting in his black Ferrari across the street – yes, he had a Ferrari, and he was very proud of it even though he had purchased it with stolen money – waiting for an adequate prey. He was rather hungry and hadn't fed in a week. For a vampire his age it was no big deal but still… he felt like some delicious human blood. To him a perfect prey was someone alone, attractive and young, and also vulnerable and drunk. It was so much easier that way. And the gay bar he was currently watching was full of them. If he concentrated enough he could hear the music playing inside and even the conversations of the people talking outside in the stairs.

At 2 am a guy walked out of the club. And the guy was tall, wore black skinny jeans and a matching tank top with an army style belt, he had mid-length spiky blond hair and it clashed with his tan skin nicely. Attractive, check. Alone, check. Also he wasn't walking so straight, so… drunk, check. As for vulnerable, well, humans were always vulnerable to vampires, really.

He got out of his car casually. He got his share of envious and lustful looks, but he ignored them. He was used to it. As always he was clad in only the best clothes; perfectly tailored black suit and designer shoes. It flattered his tall and lean frame. He started following that sexy blond guy not so subtly. But who cares about subtlety? There was nothing abnormal about him. Well except for his fangs but as long as he didn't grin or laugh he was fine – and he never did these things. If people were watching them they would probably assume that he knew the guy and wanted to talk to him.

For now the drunk blond was too busy lighting himself a joint to realize he was being followed. Well that was okay, he was patient. Sometimes.

He followed him to a more deserted area. Well that was good. Deserted was good. At some point the blond guy stopped and leaned against the wall of a building. He threw his joint on the sidewalk and crushed it with his converse shoe. He looked up at the moonlit sky and then he looked straight at the vampire.

He had the prettiest blue eyes, the most gorgeous full lips and overall the most beautiful face he had seen in a while – in a really long while.

"Hey," he said simply.

The vampire didn't reply, instead he stepped closer slowly.

"You were following me?" he frowned slightly.

"Yes."

He took out another joint from his pocket and lit it. After he took a whiff he offered it to the vampire.

He accepted it, amused. It wouldn't have any effect on him whatsoever but why not play with his food a little?

"You don't think it's creepy that I was following you?"

They exchanged the joint again. The blond shrugged.

"You know what they say about stalking. If the person's hot, then it's considered cute."

He made a little smile and stepped closer, "So you think I'm hot."

He could play flirty young man. He was a good actor when he wanted to.

"Hmm… yeah. What's your name?"

"Sasuke, you?"

"Naruto. Were you at the club? Cause it's a shame I didn't see you…"

"I like you, Naruto," he said huskily, avoiding the question.

The blond had been about to bring the joint to his lips but he interrupted his movements. He smiled and leaned closer. Such a willing victim…

When he was close enough Sasuke whispered, "Too bad I have to kill you…"

He parted his lips, leaned towards the exposed neck and bared his fangs. Enough play time. Then the funniest thing happened. Naruto tilted his head to the side and kissed him. Sasuke was very surprised at first. What the hell? Trying to drink blood here…

He could've easily pushed the blond away. But he didn't. Damn, even with the taste of strong liquor and marijuana this guy still tasted delicious – and he wasn't thinking about his blood. He found himself kissing back passionately. Oh God… that Naruto guy was trying to dominate him. He was slowly but surely pushing him towards the wall and at the same time he was shoving his tongue in his mouth.

Sasuke couldn't have that. He reversed their positions and pinned the blond against the wall. He grabbed his wrists tightly and crushed his body with his own. He kissed him breathlessly over and over again. He couldn't stop. This was intoxicating.

Naruto was moaning, and at some point he sounded pained. Sasuke pulled away slightly.

"You're hurting me," he whispered.

"Good," Sasuke replied but he loosened his grip on the blond's wrists.

He ravished the bruised lips once more. He didn't even want to drink his blood anymore – well of course in the back of his mind he wanted to but it wasn't his main desire. He just wanted to kiss him, kiss him, and kiss him again.

When they pulled away Naruto was breathing hard.

"Fuck…" he eventually whispered.

But despite his wrists – and his lips – being bruised he was smiling.

"I'm drunk so I'm not gonna be shy about asking… Can I have your number?"

Sasuke almost laughed. The situation was simply too amusing. He had been ready to attack him and drain him of his blood and now he was being asked for his phone number.

There was also another thought on his mind. Naruto reminded him of someone. It was hard to say whom, though. But there was something about his handsome and perfect features that reminded him of… someone. It was so frustrating yet he couldn't remember who it was exactly.

"Give me your phone I'll put it in," he finally said.

Naruto smirked and did as he was told. Sasuke wrote his name and his number in the contacts list, and handed the phone back to Naruto.

"Call me," he said.

"Oh I will," Naruto replied.

Sasuke shook his head slightly in disbelief and then he walked away, returning to his car. What the hell had just happened?

So that was the reason why later in his car he was smiling like a silly human. Naruto had amused him, and that was somewhat of an achievement. He hadn't been scared at all! Perhaps he had been too drunk to be scared. Oh well… it was still amusing.

And now to find a new victim…

…

After he had fed and destroyed the evidence he returned home. He owned a two-story mansion with a nice view on the ocean. He had been living here on the west coast of the US, more precisely in San Francisco, for fifty years. No other vampire had tried to mess with his territory. Well, except one, but that was a long story. He didn't want to think about that. He wanted to think about Naruto.

What was so special about him? Sure he was handsome and fit and totally rapeable, but there was something else… And just why had he kissed back like that? Naruto was a good kisser, yes, but Sasuke had often kissed humans who weren't too bad and then he had simply drunk their blood right away. This wasn't like him.

He went to pull down the shades and close the curtains in his bedroom. He stripped off his clothes graciously and lay down on the comfortable king size bed. He felt strangely sleepy; it wasn't even the morning yet.

His dreams took him to a place far away in his memories. A place he never wished to remember. He wanted to wake up, yet he couldn't…

_He was naked, exposed and vulnerable. He hated this feeling. But he couldn't escape. He had been compelled to never try to escape. Compelled by a much older, and more powerful vampire. _

_Said vampire was currently drawing him. He was controlling Sasuke so that he didn't move. So he was frozen into place. There was such hatred in his heart yet he couldn't so much as blink. The man's name was Varin. He had long brown hair and green eyes, with the trademarked pale-white skin of vampires. He was the one responsible for turning Sasuke. It seemed he had turned him only to make him his pet, his slave, his play thing…_

_After he finished his drawing he smiled and got up. He made his way to Sasuke and picked him up. He dropped him on the bed and told him, "You can move now, but don't try to escape from me."_

_It was just as bad as not being able to move, because the only thing Sasuke wanted was to get away from him. But he couldn't. He had to endure being raped once more. Sadly he was used to it by now. He would heal quickly, too. But the mental scars would never heal. _

_Suddenly there was a knock at the door. _

"_I need to speak with you Sir," a feminine voice said._

"_Not now Kushina!"_

"_Very well. I shall wait outside."_

_Varin finished what he had started. Sasuke was left hurt and lifeless on the bed. A tear of blood fell from his eye and Varin wiped it off tenderly. Sasuke felt like throwing up. _

"_If only you returned my love," he whispered._

"_Never," Sasuke replied fiercely._

_As he went to open the door a young female vampire was standing outside. But it wasn't Kushina unfortunately._

"_Sakura, my dear, come in," the older vampire said, "I'll be busy for a moment so you can have your fun if you want."_

_Sakura was a vampire two hundred years older than Sasuke. She had strawberry blond hair and pale green eyes. Varin had changed her as well, after he found her in Northern Europe. He had renamed her Sakura because of the colour of her hair. The two had recently added Sasuke, needless to say against his will, to their little family. _

"_But he won't do as I say," she pouted, "my dear Master, would you care helping me a little?"_

_Sakura wasn't old and strong enough to compel younger vampires. So Varin sighed and walked up to Sasuke once more. The latter closed his eyes. _

_Varin forced them open with his fingers and chuckled, "Your attempts at resisting are rather pathetic my young friend. Oh, right, you will obey Sakura's every word."_

_He turned to face the blonde female, "Will that do?"_

"_Yes, thank you," she smiled._

_He left them alone. Sakura came to sit on the bed with him. "Will you make love to me, Sasuke?"_

"_In your dreams," he spat._

_He got up from the bed and went to look out the window. The beautiful red-head named Kushina was talking with Varin in the gardens. There was a full moon tonight. _

"_You are indeed in my dreams, Sasuke," she eventually said. She came to stand beside him, "I love you, I hope you know that. Oh, how is it in your language? Ai shite iru?"_

"_Anta no koto daikirai," he replied with such venom in his voice, "I hate you, Sakura."_

_She didn't look hurt in the slightest. She whispered, "Kiss me. It's an order."_

_His body moved on its own. He had no choice. He literally couldn't disobey her. And so for the next hour he was hers to play with. And he felt like he was dead inside. Lifeless, just an object. A sex-toy for these two to play with._

_Later__, the three of them were sleeping together in the large bed. Well, Sakura and Varin were sleeping. Sasuke was wide awake. He had only been waiting for them to fall asleep. So he got up and walked around the large house aimlessly. He couldn't escape, but at least he didn't have to be near them. _

_As he walked down the hallway, looking absentmindedly at the Renaissance paintings on the walls, he stopped short. He felt a presence. Kushina. _

"_Hi, Sasuke," she said softly._

"_What are you doing here?" he asked._

"_I've made up my mind," she said, "I will cast a spell so that he can no longer control you. When the night comes, wait for an opportunity, and escape!"_

_Sasuke's eyes widened and he lowered his voice, even though it made little difference, "If he finds out he will kill you."_

"_I tricked him today. While we were talking I cast a spell so that he would sleep soundly the entire day. He won't wake up, trust me. I can do this. Afterwards I will join my family. They're taking the boat as we speak. He will never find us."_

"_You're willing to risk so much for me? A vampire?"_

_She took his hands, "I can't stand the sight of him treating you like this any longer. My duty is to protect humans, and yet I feel the obligation to protect you from him as well."_

_A sliver of hope entered Sasuke's heart. It was a feeling he had thought he would never experience again. _

"_Then please, I'm begging you."_

"_You don't have to," she smiled, "I've already made up my mind."_

_Still holding his hands, she closed her eyes and frowned, concentrating. Sasuke's heart was beating fast. This could be his only chance…_

"_Fool!" _

_They pulled away from each other with a gasp. Sasuke's heart sunk and he was filled with dread. It was Varin, of course. He shouldn't have hoped for the best… he shouldn't have let Kushina risk her life. _

"_You think you can trick me, witch?"_

_He ran towards them and pushed Sasuke aside roughly. His head hit the wall and he watched, helpless, as the vampire crushed Kushina's fragile neck. _

"_We have a pact, remember? You can't hurt me! Even your little spell to make me sleep couldn't work! When you've been around for a millennium you're rather hard to fool. You should've taken this into account. And now you will die for your insolence."_

"_No!" Sasuke yelled and got up to his feet._

_He tried to push Varin away from her but he might as well have been bouncing into a wall. Annoyed, the older vampire pushed Sasuke away once more. And then he proceeded to drain the already weakened girl from her blood. _

_As she died, so did the faint hope in Sasuke's heart. _

He woke up with a gasp. What an intense dream… He realized he had been crying in his sleep. Great, and now the bed was stained.

But even his usual cynicism couldn't take his mind off things. That had been the darkest period of his long life, and he didn't want to remember it. He'd gladly erase it from his memory if he could.

It was so long ago… hundreds of years ago. But in the dream it had felt so real. He had relived the moment all over again.

Kushina! Of course! His eyes widened in realization. He sat up and ran long pale fingers through raven black locks. Naruto looked so much like her. And his presence… it felt just like hers. Could she be his ancestor? It was possible, considering her family had indeed escaped. It had pissed Varin off so much, but he had been too late to stop the boat. He had pursued them over the years but he had never found them. It had been the only thing that made Sasuke happy.

But the spell still existed. The thing was, Varin had threatened to kill Kushina's children so that this line of witches and magicians would disappear forever. So she suggested a deal. She casted a spell against herself and her descendants. They would never be able to hurt Varin. And the spell couldn't be undone by one of them. He wouldn't accept anything less, so she had no choice. It was the only way she could save her children.

So if Naruto indeed was her descendant, and possessed magical powers, Sasuke supposed he could warn him that against this particular vampire he would be helpless. Because, yeah, unfortunately, that Varin asshole was still out there, somewhere. Sasuke had finally been able to escape from him – after a century, that is. Worst century ever.

He wondered if his guess was right. Sasuke hadn't encountered a lot of witches or magicians over the years, but he knew this much, they had to be confronted directly by a vampire for their powers to be unlocked. In other words, they had to get bitten. They were basically meant to protect the natural balance and other poetic crap like that. Once their powers were unlocked though, they were practically unstoppable. If Naruto really was one of them, things could get interesting…

* * *

><p>Hey guys, I hope you liked the first chapter!<p>

just wanted to put some notes at the end cause if you put them at the beginning no one reads them, right? lol

So I got to admit, my inspiration for this fic comes from the vampire diaries. I've been watching the two first seasons on the internet (shame on me...) and I just really like their take on vampires and all... So if any of you guys know that show and noticed some resemblance, i just want to say fear not, I will not copy the story. Of course not. Just wanted to clear that up.

So this is my second Naruto vampire fic, but it's gonna be very different than the first one I wrote.

There's much more to come if you guys feel like reading it^^


	2. Mysterious date

Chapter 2 – Mysterious date

Naruto dreamt of vampires that night. And they weren't all nice and sparkly like in that stupid movie Kakashi had made him watch a week ago. Far from it. They were cruel, emotionless and murderous. They killed so many innocent humans. It was a horrible dream, really. So weird…

And also he was hangover.

"Damn, what did I drink last night?" he muttered to himself.

He remembered Temari's party for the beginning of the semester. He remembered drinking shooters and cocktails with her, and then beer with her boyfriend Shikamaru. He remembered Temari and Shikamaru were making out like crazy, and so were Hinata and Gaara. He remembered feeling lonely. And finally he remembered accepting Sai's offer to go with him to a gay bar for that particular reason. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea, because after that things were getting really blurry. Being 21 was fun like that. Heh…

There was a knock on his door, "You want some eggs for breakfast, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"Uh…" he wasn't feeling so good all of a sudden.

Wearing only his boxers he quickly opened the door and went to lock himself in the bathroom, where he threw up.

He heard Kakashi say, "I'll take that as a no."

Naruto actually felt a little better after that, but he was still really tired. So he decided to sleep some more. Thankfully this time his dreams were vampire free. Actually he dreamt about his ex-boyfriend, Jey. They had been dating for almost a year but on and off. And a month ago Naruto had broken up for good. Now Sai was being all flirtatious but Naruto wasn't quite ready for another relationship… Plus Sai and his ex-boyfriend were too similar. They were both bitchy and annoying – not that he would ever tell these things to Sai, it would be way too mean.

In the dream Jey was being his annoying self and insisting that they should get back together. Naruto was actually starting to feel threatened – which made it a very stupid dream because there was no way in hell that he would feel threatened by this total uke bitch. And then some cliché tall, dark and mysterious stranger appeared and saved the day by kissing Naruto. Yeah, his dreams just kept getting weirder…

His cell phone started ringing, bringing him out of his thoughts. He stumbled out of his bed and started fumbling through his mess on the floor. He finally found his cell – in his skinny jeans pocket, of course, the last place he checked – and answered it.

"Hey Shika, what's up?"

"Not much… hangover, but it's all worth it."

"So you and Temari had a pretty good night huh?"

"Oh yeah… what about you? Are you with Sai?"

"No! Why would you think that I'm with him?"

"He's texting everyone that you guys fucked all night," Shikamaru laughed.

"He's what?" Naruto exclaimed, fuming.

"It's not true?"

"No, of course not!" He hesitated, and then on a lower tone added, "Shit… I hope not."

Shikamaru laughed even harder.

"It's not funny Shika!"

"It kinda is."

"Well not for me!"

"Ah… sorry man. I guess you should call Sai then. Call me later if you feel like hanging out or something."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Yeah if I feel like sitting on the balcony of your apartment and watching the sky I'll give you a call."

"It's a relaxing activity when you're hangover. Think about it man."

"I will," Naruto chuckled, "All right I should probably call Sai."

"Yeah, see ya later."

"Yeah bye."

Naruto hung up and went through his contacts list. He didn't know Sai's number by heart. He frowned and stared at the little screen for a moment. Who the hell was Sasuke?

He sat on his bed, still frowning. He tried to remember, but really most of the night was a total black out. He was so never drinking again… Never mind the fact that he had been telling himself this every time he was hangover – which was often.

He decided he would try to figure out who that other guy was later. For now he needed to call Sai and tell him he was a little fucking immature piece of shit for texting _that_ to all of their friends.

"Hello?" Sai answered in a rather sleepy voice.

"What the hell are you texting everyone? What happened last night anyway?"

"Woah calm down."

Naruto sighed, "I'm calm okay? Just explain."

"Well, we fucked in my car. In the street behind the club."

"What the fuck? I'm pretty sure I'd remember that!"

"You kind of… You took some ecstasy Naruto."

"What! No way! You sure you didn't put it in my drink Sai?"

"We were drinking shooters at the bar and while no one was looking I took out two pills," Sai explained calmly, "I offered one to you and I was ready to put it back but then you said, I quote, eh what the hell, yeah okay."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me…"

"It's true. I'm not a liar Naruto."

"You're texting everyone that we fucked!"

"It's the truth."

"Oh… right."

Naruto sighed heavily and put his head in his hand. He ran shaky fingers through messy blond hair and sighed again.

"Stop it you sound fucking depressed," Sai said.

"Oh you think!"

Fucking smart ass bitch…

"Look it's no big deal. You used a condom so everything's cool. I mean not that I have any STD but since I'm such a liar you probably wouldn't believe me."

"I didn't even have a condom on me!"

"I did," Sai replied.

"I hate you so much Sai."

"I love you too fuck buddy. All right take care see you at school on Monday."

He hung up. Oh God… he really was never touching alcohol or anything else, ever again. For real this time. Well maybe he could still smoke weed once in a while… but that was it.

He sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time and decided to go take a shower to clear his head. It didn't work. He was still very, intensely depressed because of what had happened with Sai. But at least he felt a little better – cleaner, refreshed. He went to put some clothes on – skinny jeans, tank top and sleeveless hoodie, all black to fit his mood.

He used to dress in silly colors back in high school – bright orange being the silliest. And then he had dated Hinata and she had told him that black looked good on him because of his tan skin, blue eyes and blond hair. It just made his natural features stand out all the more. He had followed her advice. She had been his first and only girlfriend and she had been such good advice for his fashion sense, really. Also thanks to her he had passed high school.

He ran his fingers through his wet hair as he walked down the stairs, uncaring that it was messy and spiky and weird. Kakashi's hair was even weirder. Speaking of him he was sitting in the living room reading the latest addition to his hentai manga collection. Kakashi was a literature teacher at the university and he had always encouraged Naruto to read great authors, but he wasn't exactly a role model.

He was his adoptive father. The only thing he knew about his biological parents was that they were dead. It was classified a mysterious death or something like that. It was weird not knowing what had happened to them but there was nothing he could do about it. There was hope that they were still alive but it was unlikely. That was all Kakashi could tell him anyway. So Naruto preferred thinking that they were dead and not give himself too many false hopes.

"Naruto?"

"Hmm?" he looked up at Kakashi.

"Are you okay? You were spacing out."

"Oh, yeah, sorry hum… I kinda need to talk, if you don't mind."

"Oh come on Naruto you're not a teenager anymore. I thought this whole angsty talk thing was over."

"Wow…"

"I'm kidding. Talk."

Kakashi continued reading his book but Naruto knew he was listening. Yeah, he was weird like that.

Naruto told him about last night. He didn't leave out anything. Kakashi was very open minded, and Naruto knew he wouldn't mind. It was great, in a way, having such an accepting parent.

When he was finished talking Kakashi put the book on the low table and crossed his legs. He seemed thoughtful.

"I used to take these types of drugs when I was younger. They were the best nights of my life."

"What the hell? You don't even remember anything when you take that shit!"

"Precisely," Kakashi shrugged, "memories are over rated."

Naruto face palmed.

"If you don't like it just don't do it again," Kakashi went on, "as for that Sai kid, you need to take some distance from him. His obsession with you is getting creepy."

"Yeah I know… and what about that new contact in my phone?"

"You should call him," Kakashi made a little smile, "who knows, he might be the love of your life. You wouldn't want to miss on that."

Naruto stayed silent for a moment. Kakashi went back to his reading.

After a while he said, "Yeah I guess you're right… Not on the love of my life thing but… I should at least call."

Kakashi didn't look up from his book. Naruto got up and decided to go outside to breathe some fresh air. He sat in the stairs in front of the small house and looked at the occasional cars and people passing by absentmindedly. The weather was cloudy and foggy and it was a bit cold.

He finally decided to call the number. He pressed his cell to his ear and waited. He was certain the answering machine would pick up, when someone answered in a really sleepy voice. Really, Sai's voice had been nothing compared to this guy.

"Hello…"

"Hey, hum," Naruto cleared his throat, "this is Naruto, we, hum, met last night."

"Oh, hey Naruto…"

"Am I waking you up?"

"Yeah…"

"I'm sorry. I thought it was okay, since it's like, 2 pm I think," he chuckled nervously.

"I'm more of a night person."

"I hear ya. I definitely would be too, if only I didn't have to go to school."

"How old are you?"

Naruto supposed the guy was probably scared that he had meant high school.

"Oh I meant university," he answered, "I'm 21. You?"

"Hum… I've lost count."

"Very funny," Naruto said. Weird…

"Hey can I call you back like… later. This evening. We can… go on a… date or something. Is that what you call it these days?"

"Hum…"

"Talk to you later then."

He hung up. Naruto stared at his phone for a moment. The guy's voice was really hot. It was like, low, slightly rasp but that could've been from being woken up, and very suave and sensual. And it was only over the phone… Maybe he should give this date a shot. But not alone, it was too creepy. He didn't even remember the guy! He usually had very good taste and if he had asked for his phone number it was a good sign, but how was he supposed to know if he still had good taste while on freakin' ecstasy?

So he called Shikamaru again. Temari answered, saying that Shikamaru was in the shower.

"You guys don't take showers together?"

"My father's here," she explained.

"Oh…"

"So what is it?"

"Do you feel like a double date tonight?"

"With you and Sai?" she mocked.

"No! Shut up."

"Who's your mysterious date then?"

"Just some guy I met last night…"

"Ouh… is he hot?"

"Probably."

She burst out laughing, "Probably! You don't even _remember_ him?"

"Why do you think I don't want to go on a date alone with him?" he sighed. Again.

"Okay, we'll go. Shikamaru wanted to do something with you anyway," she explained, "he said, I should probably hang out with him to comfort him, even if it's troublesome, that's what friends do. He knows how much you hate Sai."

"Well I wouldn't say I hated him before, but now I definitely do."

"Yeah… All right, so, time and place?"

"I don't know… you guys choose."

"Cool. I'll text you later."

"Thanks Temari, see you later."

After that he decided he should probably eat a little something. But first, some pain killers… It would be a long day. He really hoped that double date would end up being nice.

…

"What are you doing tonight?" Kakashi asked, "Do you want to stay and watch New Moon?"

"Watch what?" Naruto asked as he was trying and failing to comb his hair and make it look more normal.

"It's the sequel to Twilight."

"Oh not that again! I hated the first one, what makes you think I'll like the sequel?"

"It's a very romantic story. Don't judge before seeing the whole series. In the fourth movie they have sex."

"You know Kakashi, sometimes you scare me. Anyway, sorry but no. I'm going out tonight?"

"Again?"

"Oh don't try to be a scolding parent you wouldn't have any credibility anyway."

"Fair enough. Have fun then. Don't come home too early."

Naruto chuckled. He put the comb away, giving up. With Temari and Shikamaru they were supposed to go see a movie at 9. It was currently 8 and that Sasuke mystery man still hadn't called him back. Just as Naruto was gonna take the initiative and call himself, his cell phone rang.

"Hey! I was just gonna call you."

"Eager to see me, aren't we?"

"Yeah! And hum… I might've asked some friends to join along. I hope you don't mind?"

"Of course not. As long as you're there."

Flirting already, huh? He wasn't losing any time… Then again Naruto didn't know what exactly had happened last night. He felt like he would look really stupid if he asked though. So instead he told him the location and time of the date.

"I don't have a car but… I can take the bus to get there."

"No I'll pick you up. I can even bring you flowers if you want."

"I think I'll be fine, thanks," he chuckled. He told him his address and Sasuke promised to be there in thirty minutes.

Naruto was really nervous as he waited in the living room. It was obvious Kakashi noticed this but he didn't comment. He was too busy grading papers. And by grading papers he meant reading the first paragraph real quick and giving a B or A- if there weren't too many mistakes. Lazy ass teacher…

He jumped out of his skin when the doorbell rang.

"Nervous much?" Kakashi said teasingly.

"Shut up!" Naruto said in a low voice, "I'd like to see you going on a date with a complete stranger!"

"Hum, I do it all the time Naruto, you know, thanks to something called internet…"

"Whatever."

He went to open the door. And what he saw literally took his breath away. The guy was drop-dead gorgeous – and it would become true if he didn't regain his breathing ability soon.

He was leaning against the stair banister casually, and he looked at Naruto with a little smile when the door opened. He wore dress black shoes with stylish, dark blue skinny jeans, a white button down shirt and a thin black jacket. His raven hair was mid-length just like Naruto's but it was so sleek and soft looking, really, he was jealous. And his face was so beautiful. His skin was pale-white but it worked for this guy. His eyes were dark and framed by long black eyelashes. His features were delicate and his pale lips looked so soft and kissable. And, he had a rose in his hand.

The only thing Naruto could think of saying was, "I said no flower."

The raven shrugged slightly and stood straight. He gave it to Naruto, who took it anyway.

"I always wanted to do that."

He thought he could melt at the sound of that voice. It was so, so deep and beautiful.

"What, you're gonna tell me you've never been on a date before?"

He seemed thoughtful. Naruto thought it was weird; it was a simple enough question, right?

"No, I don't think so," he finally said.

"That's kinda hard to believe," Naruto chuckled.

Then he realized what he just said and blushed slightly. He went back inside so that the other wouldn't see it. He gave the flower to Kakashi.

"Hum… will you put it in water for me? Thanks."

Then without waiting for his answer he returned outside and closed the door. That's when he saw the car.

"Holy shit is that…!"

He quickly walked towards the sports car parked right in front of the house. Yeah, it was a Ferrari. Holy shit…

He waited for Sasuke to say that it wasn't his, and that his car was the very normal one parked across the street or something. But instead he opened the door for Naruto.

"You ready?"


	3. Stalker

Chapter 3 – Stalker

"You ready?"

He tilted his head to the side, a little smirk on his lips. Some raven strands fell into his eyes and for a moment Naruto couldn't take his eyes off him.

This… this wasn't possible, was it? Surely he would wake up to realize that for once he hadn't made some weirdo dream but a really cool one.

But he realized Sasuke was waiting for his answer.

"Yeah," he said as he sat in this awesome car. Actually awesome was an understatement…

Sasuke walked around the car and took place behind the wheel. He started the car, shifted and drove away in the night. Naruto felt excited, and goose bumps rose on his skin. Sasuke was the hottest guy he had ever seen. He didn't think he could ever get tired of staring at him – although for now he should probably stop because the other would be freaked out.

"What music do you like?" Sasuke eventually asked.

"Dance music for partying and going out," Naruto said, "but the rest of the time… rock, punk, metal, that kinda thing. You?"

"Same," Sasuke said, "Check under your seat, there's a couple albums…"

Naruto did as he was told. Well, there were more than just a couple albums! There were so many…

"You're so old school," he smiled, "but I like that. No one buys records anymore, and I think that sucks. Everyone just downloads everything for free and uses their IPods."

"Guess I'm not up to date with the latest technology," the raven replied, "so did you choose yet?"

"Oh, hum, this one," he said as he handed him the latest Children of bodom record.

Sasuke gave a slight nod as he skillfully opened the case and put the cd in while somehow shifting gears at the same time. He must be used to it, Naruto thought. He wished he could drive like this…

He chose the track Roundtrip to hell and back. The melodies were just so intense that Naruto could listen to the song on repeat for an hour and never get tired of it.

"So what movie are we going to see?" Sasuke asked, and he turned to glance at him.

Naruto was speechless for a moment, but then he told him he didn't remember the title.

"Some horror movie," he frowned, "that's what Temari texted me, anyway. She's cool, I mean at least she's not forcing us to go see some stupid rom com."

As they waited at a red light Sasuke leaned towards him. Naruto tensed, and held his breath. Sasuke kissed his lips softly, and then pulled away.

"What is it?"

He started driving again, but he kept glancing sideways at Naruto. He looked somewhat intrigued, and amused at the same time. But Naruto's heart was beating really fast and he was nowhere near amused.

"Look, I don't know what happened last night, to be honest. So… can we, like, take our time?"

Now Sasuke looked really amused, "You don't remember a thing?"

Naruto was embarrassed. He put his elbow on the window frame and rested his head in his hand.

"No… I was really drunk, and also a… friend made me take something."

"Oh," Sasuke said, "well, we kissed. And it was intense. Actually you started it," he sent him an amused glance.

"Stop looking at me like that," Naruto said defensively.

"Like what?"

"Like you're making fun of me! I mean… it happens, okay? I made a mistake…" Oh God, what was he saying? He wasn't making any sense. "But… but at least it led us to meet, so it's not all that bad, right?"

He really was clumsy with his words right now. He should probably just shut up.

To his surprise Sasuke simply answered, "Right."

He had the slightest accent to his voice but Naruto couldn't quite make out what it was. But they had arrived at the cinema so he decided he would ask later.

Temari and Shikamaru were standing outside, and when they saw Naruto got out of the car their eyes went wide. Naruto couldn't help but smile. He couldn't really blame them… When Temari saw Sasuke her eyes went wider. Again, he couldn't really blame her.

As they walked up to them Naruto made the introductions.

"It's really nice to meet you," Temari snapped out of it.

"Your car is so cool," Shikamaru said dreamily.

"Yeah I know," Sasuke said, making Temari and Naruto laugh.

Once inside Shikamaru paid for his and Temari's tickets. Naruto quickly went to the counter and also paid for both his date and himself – Sasuke had already brought him a flower, and picked him up with his wicked car, so he didn't want to be emasculated completely. Sasuke didn't protest.

Temari suggested that they didn't spend all their money with popcorn and instead go get some dinner after the movie, and everyone agreed. So they went to sit in the room, waiting for the movie to start, Naruto sitting in between Sasuke and Shikamaru.

"So you're feeling better?" Shikamaru whispered.

Naruto leaned closer to his friend and lowered his voice as well, "Yeah. But I'm not forgiving Sai any time soon."

"I understand," Shikamaru said, "what he did really sucks…"

"Who's that Sai," Sasuke suddenly said, "and what did he do to you?"

Shikamaru cleared his throat and started talking with his girlfriend. Naruto turned to look at the raven.

"Ah, you caught that, huh… well… he's the 'friend' I told you about. The one who slipped me the drug last night."

Sasuke nodded slightly and leaned back in his seat comfortably.

"I can kill him for you if you want."

Naruto laughed, "No it's okay I think I'll settle for ignoring him for a few days."

"Whatever you say."

Well that was weird. Sasuke looked like he was actually serious. Was he dating a psychopath? Maybe he was just being paranoid…

During the movie Sasuke got even weirder. Temari, Shikamaru and Naruto were a little freaked out at times because the movie really was scary. But Sasuke kept chuckling. He wasn't plain laughing but it wasn't far from that.

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked at some point.

"Humans – I mean, people don't react like this when they're about to die. They have it all wrong…"

What the hell? This kind of didn't help his fear that Sasuke was a psycho. Naruto glanced at his friends. Shikamaru had his arm around Temari's shoulder and she was pressing her body against him as they watched intently. This was his idea of a nice date at the movies. Whenever he went with Hinata, or later with Jey, he would be the one with the comforting arm around their shoulders. But with Sasuke it was completely different. He didn't need to be reassured in the slightest that was for sure.

"Now I'm bored," the raven whispered, and he cupped his chin to turn his head.

He kissed him, and it felt so good and right yet Naruto pushed him away firmly. He liked long and sane relationships where they could develop their feelings, and everything happened in the right order. He didn't want to make out on the first date damn it. Last night didn't count.

He tried to explain this to Sasuke, but the latter only watched him with amused eyes.

After Naruto's little speech he whispered, "Kiss me."

And Naruto did, suddenly forgetting everything he had just been saying. He didn't care anymore, all he wanted to do was to kiss him. It was as if his will had been replaced by another one for this brief moment.

When he tried to pull away Sasuke held him close. "Don't stop," he said.

Naruto closed his eyes and kissed him again. His lips were so soft and delicious and it felt so good and exciting. He had never made out with such a good kisser before. They ended up doing this until the end of the movie. When they finally stopped Naruto was out of breath and his lips were bruised. He also had a few hickeys in his neck, which he tried to hide by lifting the collar of his hoodie. How had this happened?

Temari and Shikamaru were looking at them amusedly as they walked out of the room. They made their way outside and Temari asked Naruto mockingly if he had liked the ending of the movie.

"Uh yeah, it was really, really good," he said, playing along.

They all looked at Sasuke. He was smirking. He slid his arm around Naruto's thin waist and pulled him close as they walked towards his car. Naruto frowned slightly. This didn't make any sense. Why was Sasuke acting all dominating? He was smaller and skinner damn it! Naruto was in his university's basket ball team for crissake. He was 6 feet 2, he was supposed to be the dominant one. Okay so maybe Sasuke was only an inch or two shorter, but still… He was definitely skinnier. Kind of.

Temari chose a restaurant and again everyone agreed to her decision. What would they do without a girl tagging along to take all the decisions? Then she followed Shikamaru to his car – needless to say a much less flashy one than Sasuke's.

Once Naruto was seated in the Ferrari he turned to look at the raven.

"D'you think you could let me drive it?"

"No," Sasuke said.

"I mean," Naruto quickly said, "not now but… another time, eventually, maybe? Just once…"

"No," he repeated.

Well that was kinda harsh. Naruto let out a quiet sigh as he looked out the window. So much for that…

After a moment of silence Sasuke said, "All right, maybe."

Naruto's blue eyes lit up as he glanced back at him, "Yeah! You're the best."

"I didn't say yes."

"Oh come on, everyone knows maybe means yes."

"No, maybe means maybe," the raven replied, "you'll have to deserve it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sasuke didn't reply. Naruto pouted and the rest of the drive to the restaurant was silent.

Temari had chosen a small and cheap place where mostly they sold hamburgers and fries. It worked for Naruto, but Sasuke looked disgusted by it. He only ordered a bottle of water and waited as the three others ordered their food.

"I'm starving!" Naruto exclaimed.

"God me too," Shikamaru said.

Once they were all seated and had started eating, Temari addressed Sasuke, who sat in front of her.

"So where are you from? I noticed you had an accent…"

"And there I thought my English was flawless," Sasuke said with the slightest hint of a smile, as he locked eyes with her. She blushed slightly, but thankfully Shikamaru was too busy eating to notice. Sasuke went on, "I'm from Japan, but I haven't been there in a really long time."

"I thought that could be it," Naruto said, "but you're so…"

"Tall," Temari finished for him, laughing lightly.

"Yeah," Sasuke said thoughtfully, "my father was pretty tall, too. I have no idea if he had other origins."

They all noticed he was talking in the past and there was somewhat of an uncomfortable silence.

"Stop having stereotypes you guys. So why San Francisco?" Shikamaru asked eventually.

"I love everything about this city," Sasuke answered, "the weather, the architecture, the night life, the people."

He glanced at Naruto sideways and flashed a smile. Naruto forced himself not to blush – this was getting embarrassing. So he simply smiled back.

"So do you go to school?" Temari asked.

Sasuke took a sip of water before answering, "No, I don't. What about you?"

"I'm in business," Temari informed, "I'm gonna run the family company one day, with my brother, so yeah. Shikamaru's… undecided," she sighed.

Shikamaru shrugged, "Hey you shouldn't complain. I'm in physics, minor in maths and I have the best grade in all of my classes."

"I know," she said, "but I only wish you'd know what you want to do with your life."

"Give him some time," Naruto chuckled, "I'm also undecided, so I understand Shika."

"What are you studying?" Sasuke asked him.

"Fine arts, with theatre option."

"Really? Huh, I used to be an actor," the raven replied.

"Really?" Temari asked excitedly, "What movies did you play in?"

"Oh, no, it was more theatre plays, back in Japan, so…"

"Oh," she said, "well that's still pretty awesome."

After the meal they went outside and walked towards their respective cars. Temari and Shikamaru both told Sasuke that it had been nice meeting him, and then they left. Naruto was left alone with the weird but incredibly hot guy again.

"Can I drive your car?"

Sasuke raised a fine black eyebrow, "You're kind of annoying, aren't you?"

"I've been told it's a part of my charm," Naruto replied, unfazed.

"Hmm… maybe it is."

"So can I…?"

"No."

"Aw damn!" he chuckled as he took place in the passenger seat.

"Another time," Sasuke made a little smile.

Naruto noticed that whenever he smiled he didn't show his teeth. It was sad, really, that guy could only have a beautiful smile.

He drove him back home and for once Naruto stayed silent – but mostly it was because he was really tired. And he really needed the rest because he had classes the next day.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, "tonight was great. We should do this again soon, just the two of us."

"Yeah we should," Sasuke leaned closer.

Oh no, Naruto thought, he clearly wanted another kiss. So before he could kiss him Naruto wrapped his arms around him and hugged him instead. Sasuke settled for kissing his neck. Naruto frowned; was this guy deaf or something? He had told him twice now that he wanted to take things slow.

And he was about to tell him for a third time when Sasuke shut him up with… a kiss. Damn it! Naruto kissed back at first because, well, he couldn't help it Sasuke was just such a good kisser. But he managed to push him away.

"I told you, I…"

"Kiss me, Naruto," he interrupted, locking eyes with him. "I don't know what it is about you… But I can't get enough."

His eyes were so big and dark and they were entrancing. Naruto parted his lips but no sound came out. Instead they kissed once more. And Naruto was kissing back fiercely, almost desperately. What was happening to him? It was as if two distinct wills were battling in his mind…

They kissed for a very long time and it felt so good and intense. Naruto's hands were all over Sasuke and his hair was so soft, he could feel his lean and sexy body under his clothes and also he could slowly but surely feel himself getting hard. So he finally found the strength to push him away again.

"I've gotta go… I'll see you soon all right? Take care."

And he left quickly without glancing back. He heard the car drive away in the night.

…

A little smile lingered on Sasuke's lips as he drove back home. He was doing that a lot since he had met Naruto. Well, technically it had only been a day, but it had felt much longer. It was funny how time went by for an immortal. When he remembered his human life it felt like so much longer than twenty years. Then the century he had spent with Varin and Sakura seemed like… two millenniums, maybe even more.

After that he had spent two centuries sleeping underground. It had gone by so quickly… it had seemed like a week, maybe.

And then he had been saved by some crazy newborn vampire guy. Said crazy vampire had become his lover and partner in crime. They had been the greatest musicians and actors of 19th century Kyoto. It had been nice.

Ah, memories, memories…

If only he could forget some of them, and keep only the good ones. But wasn't this what everyone wished for? Vampires and humans alike…

When he parked in his entryway all he wanted was to get inside and maybe choose a book from his impressive library to read for the rest of the night, and then he would go to a nice and comforting sleep filled with absolutely no memories of the past. Maybe he would dream of a naked Naruto. That would be kinda great. He liked that sexy blond, undefined artist, and possibly witch/magician guy. He liked him a lot. Maybe he should stop compelling him to kiss him… but it was just so tempting!

His naughty thoughts distracted him from the reality, but he was reminded of it brutally enough when he was attacked by none other than his number one obsessed stalker, Orochimaru.

He literally came out of nowhere and jumped on Sasuke. The latter was sent flying to the ground. He got up and brushed the dirt off his clothes indignantly.

"I thought I got rid of you thirty years ago. I destroyed you, remember? Even your mother couldn't have recognized you – if she were still alive."

Orochimaru stood tall. He was pretty much the same height as Sasuke. He had long black hair and piercing snake-like eyes. He had brought this body back to health, it seemed.

Sasuke went on, "I spared your life and in exchange you promised never to come back here."

Orochimaru smiled, "Eternity is far too long to hold on to promises, don't you think, Sasuke?"

"What do you want this time?" Sasuke snapped, "Let me guess, to sleep with me? My answer's always been no, and it's never gonna change."

"This time it's different," Orochimaru's eyes darkened, "I'm here to kill you, Sasuke."

The raven snorted, "Good luck with that."

Orochimaru was about three hundred years younger than Sasuke – therefore, much weaker.

But his smile was unfazed, "I'm not alone, this time."

Now that he said this, Sasuke thought he could feel other vampire presences near the mansion.

"How adorable, you got yourself a little army."

"Oh, Sasuke, your mocking attitude towards me will make this all the more fun and satisfying. You have no idea…"

Sasuke frowned as he watched them approach. There were more than he had thought. Ten males and three females. And they all had guns.

"You know, there's something I learned about humans," Orochimaru said as he stepped closer to Sasuke. The thirteen others approached as well. "Most of them would do anything for eternal life. Even make a deal with a psycho like me. Police officers," he pointed at a few males, "sharpshooters, secret agents. They're all corrupted in the end. And you can imagine how their skills are magnified as vampires."

Sasuke stepped back. For the first time in centuries, he was scared. Sasuke didn't believe in God, or Satan, or hell, or any of those things. He didn't believe in anything. He believed that, when you died, you went into nothingness. And he was scared of dying.

He was overpowered here. He tried to run, but he was shot, and then he was shot again, and again. Bullets couldn't kill a vampire, but they could slow him down enough. The bullets eventually disintegrated and disappeared but it took some time. And it still hurt like hell. He fell face down to the ground and they continued shooting him, until Orochimaru told them to stop.

He grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and rolled him on his back.

"You know what they say, Sasuke," he whispered in his ear. Then he grabbed his collar and powerfully lifted him off the ground. He produced a knife with his free hand and stabbed him directly in the heart. Sasuke let out a pained moan and coughed blood as he felt himself slowly drifting to unconsciousness. "Payback's a bitch…"

* * *

><p>So this is still just the beginning of the story and Orochimaru's just some minor vilain in this. I wanted to throw in some action from the start and I didn't want to use an OC because there are - will be - already a couple in this story. And oh well I know using him is cliché but it kinda fits. Hope you guys liked the third chapter, and thank you so much for reading and reviewing!<p> 


	4. The truth

Chapter 4 – The truth

Naruto's morning classes went well, and he expected to spend a nice lunch break alone in the back of the cafeteria while working on some sketches. But no such luck, Sai found him and came to sit with him.

He took out his ear plugs and glared at Sai. The latter smiled as he looked at his sketch book.

"You still need to work on your shadings…"

Naruto closed the book.

"Touchy," Sai chuckled.

"You're really gonna do this."

"Do what?" Sai asked innocently.

"Pretend like nothing happened."

Sai shrugged, "We were drunk and wasted and we had a good time. What's the big deal?"

Naruto gathered his stuff and swung his bag on his shoulder. "I'm out of here. And please, don't follow me."

Of course, Sai followed him. Naruto sighed, and when they were out of the cafeteria he turned to face him.

"Look, I know you've had a crush on me since forever. And I didn't want to be mean, but… It's never gonna work. I don't like you that way. So if you don't want to be just friends, then it's goodbye."

Sai looked hurt, and Naruto regretted his harsh words, but he had no choice. He had to get his message across. But then Sai smiled again. What the hell?

"I'll make you change your mind."

Before Naruto could reply Sai walked away. Well God damn it…

Later, in his theatre class, Naruto was shocked to see an all too familiar guy with chestnut hair, hazel eyes, and a bitchy attitude; his ex-boyfriend, Jeremy. But, he hadn't been there last week…

"Oh hey Naruto, I changed classes for this one. I felt like giving acting a try this semester."

Naruto repressed the urge to face palm. Why did he feel like Jey had changed classes so they could be together in this one? Well, it was one crazy love struck idiot after the other… Really, thank God Hinata had moved on and was now happy with Gaara instead of obsessing restlessly over him. Otherwise Naruto would have to sit in a corner and cry while hugging himself. And that would be embarrassing.

Thankfully they learned some theory and did some individual readings and exercises, so there was no interaction between students. As soon as the class was over Naruto stormed off; he was not so subtly running away from his control freak ex.

For the rest of the afternoon he went to a coffee shop near the university campus. He sat in the back and hid behind his laptop computer. He didn't feel like working on homework so instead he logged on facebook and proceeded to "like" his friends' status updates. Shikamaru was proclaiming his love for Temari, Gaara was proclaiming his hatred for his too strict father – who conveniently didn't have a facebook – and Hinata was saying that med school was too hard and that she already had a shit load of homework.

Then he decided this activity was lame so he pushed the laptop away and opened his sketch book. His drawings were good, and Sai was a jerk for telling him otherwise. Not everyone could be a freakin' genius like him when it came to drawing or painting.

Without really giving much thought into it he started drawing Sasuke by memory. He drew him as he had first seen him – well, from what he remembered, anyway. Waiting on the porch in his nice clothes with dark hair slightly blown by the wind, his little smile and the rose in his hand. He completely forgot about the now cold coffee on the table. He didn't stop drawing until he was satisfied.

When he finally looked up from his sketch book he realized it was dark outside. He gathered his stuff, got up and stretched, and then walked away from the restaurant. He decided to walk back home. It wasn't that far and besides, he needed to clear his head. To think about how to get rid of Sai and Jey… and also about what he would do about Sasuke. The guy was kind of weird, but Naruto couldn't help being attracted to him.

He wasn't in the best mood so when a stranger apparently came out of nowhere and ran into him very harshly on the sidewalk, making him drop his things – including his laptop case – Naruto cursed.

"I'm so sorry!" the man said.

"It's fine," he muttered.

He was about to bent over to pick up his stuff when the man grabbed his arm and led him to a dark alley nearby in between two buildings.

"What the hell!"

Naruto tried to break free but that asshole was stronger than him! It didn't make sense, he was shorter and he didn't look that muscular. Maybe Naruto really needed to start working out more.

Suddenly the man opened his mouth and revealed… fangs. Naruto stepped back. What the hell? Were those fake or real? Because if they were real then… it was really creepy. And there he had thought vampires only existed in bad movies.

He didn't have time to either escape or make a snippy remark because the man bit him. Just like that he latched himself to his neck and started sucking his blood. Naruto struggled but the stronger creature held him into place. He couldn't die like this! He had to fight back, to find a way to at least put up a fight…

As his anger and frustration built up they were surrounded by an increasing heat. But strangely Naruto wasn't hurt by it… it was… strangely comforting.

The man – vampire though pulled away and his eyes widened in fear. Suddenly flames appeared, burning the creature. He screamed in pain and fell to the pavement, his body disappearing in accelerated combustion. Naruto could only watch, horrified. His breathing was hard and his body weakened. Had he done this?

He looked down at himself, only to see that his clothes were partly burned. But the heat and flames hadn't hurt his body in the slightest. It was simply too strange… In any case, he had to get away from here; the sight and smell were too horrible.

Naruto returned to the street and luckily his things were still on the sidewalk, intact. He picked them up and started running towards home, ignoring the strange glances people were sending him. Only when he was safely inside did he fall on his knees, exhausted.

Kakashi appeared in the kitchen doorframe. When he took in his appearance he ran to his side.

"Naruto, are you all right?"

"Yeah I think so…"

"Your neck… your clothes… what the hell happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know."

Naruto slipped off his shoes and took off his burned t-shirt. He followed Kakashi to the bathroom, where his adoptive father used the first aid kit to treat his wound. After cleaning the bite he applied a bandage on it, and encouraged Naruto to go change into some clean clothes.

The blond nodded and went in his bedroom. He felt drained of all energy. He followed Kakashi's advice and put on some comfy sweats. He simply lay down on his bed for a moment, still a bit in shock. After a few minutes Kakashi came knocking at his door.

"May I come in?"

"Yeah…"

Kakashi opened the door and slowly came to sit on the bed beside him. He had a letter in his hands. Naruto looked at it, and then back up at Kakashi.

"Why aren't you freaked out?"

"The truth is, Naruto, you don't have to explain. I already know what happened."

"You know… but… how?"

"I think this will be a better explanation than whatever I could tell you," Kakashi said, and he handed him the letter.

_Dear Naruto,_

_If you read this, it means that you have been bitten by a vampire, and that your powers have been unleashed. __It also means that I have died and that I cannot explain to you myself. Please don't blame Kakashi for not telling you the truth, he was forced by me. I wanted you to live a normal life, if possible. _

_But now that your powers are unleashed everything will change. If vampires know of your existence they will come after you. You must be prepared. You must find the strength to fight, and defend yourself and the human race. I know this is a lot to take in, but us Uzumaki have always been able to do so thanks to our strong will. _

_Our powers include element wielding, particularly fire and wind. Also, like all witches and magicians, we are capable of telepathy and telekinesis. Some of us are shape shifters. Other than that it is different for each individual, you will have to find out the rest by yourself. _

_Be strong, and know that I love you. _

_Your mother, Kushina_

He re-read it twice. His blue eyes were wide and filled with tears threatening to fall. He had been in the dark for so long.

On the meantime Kakashi had gone to get some old pictures. When he returned he showed them to Naruto.

The blond held the pictures of his mother in his hands almost ceremoniously. She had deep red hair and a beautiful face. Actually she looked a lot like him.

"Mysterious death…" he whispered after a long moment of silence.

Kakashi let out a quiet sigh, "She was killed by vampires. They wanted to destroy the rest of her family as well, but even through the worst torture she didn't tell them where you were."

"How do you know all this?" Naruto asked, and a tear rolled down his cheek.

His adoptive father made a little sad smile, "She was my best friend. She told me everything. She had anticipated the attack and she had prepared everything so that I could adopt you. I think she already knew she wouldn't survive. In the end, just before dying, she used the last of her powers to reach out to me with her thoughts. She told me she had succeeded in hiding the information from them, and that we would be safe. And she thanked me… And that was it."

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, and more tears rolled down his face. Sure it was a lot to take in – vampires, magical powers, everything… But all he wanted to think about was his mother.

"How was she?"

"Just like you," Kakashi smiled fondly, "always talking, and smiling, and crazy."

Naruto sighed shakily, "Earlier you said, the rest of her family… Did you know my father as well?"

"Yeah… I'm not supposed to tell you anything, but I'm tired of lying to you. I think she would forgive me. Your father's name was Minato. You look so much like him. And you have a twin sister, Miku. They left together to be safe. I know what you're gonna ask, but I don't know where they went. Kushina herself didn't know. It was safer that way."

Now this was a lot to take in! His father was probably still alive, somewhere… And he had a sister! He wanted to meet them, so bad… He knew he couldn't blame Kakashi, and he wouldn't… But he would find a way… He would find them.

"They left… But, wait, where did all of this happen?"

"In Japan," Kakashi said, "In Osaka. I was an English teacher there, just like your mother. When the vampires found her I moved here with you as soon as I could. Like I said, I don't know where Minato went with your sister."

"Maybe they're still in Japan?" Naruto asked, hopeful.

"Maybe," Kakashi admitted, "I know how fond Minato was of that country. Also, Kushina had a brother, Nagato. But I'm sorry; I don't know where he is. I don't even know if he's still alive."

"Are there other family members or…?"

"No, that's it," Kakashi said. "That's all I know, anyway."

"Well thanks for being honest. Better late than never I guess," he added bitterly.

"I'm sorry, Naruto."

"It's okay… all this isn't your fault I guess. You were dragged into it."

"I never regretted my decision to adopt you," he said sincerely.

Naruto wiped his eyes in annoyance and then he nodded slowly. He didn't know what else to say.

"I guess I'll leave you alone then. I'll be downstairs if you need to talk."

Naruto gave another nod and watched as Kakashi left his bedroom and closed the door. He picked up his cell on the floor and checked it; he had two text messages. One was from Sai, saying "You want to go out again next weekend?" and the other was from Jey, "It was nice seeing you again today."

He threw it on his bedside table and fell back on his pillows. His neck hurt, his whole body hurt, but he was barely aware of this physical pain because he was overwhelmed by a much more intense, deeper pain. So the last thing he could possibly care about was these two idiots…

He wondered if his father was thinking about him sometimes. Naruto understood it was for safety but at the same time… was it really safer to be apart? Wouldn't they be stronger if they'd all stick together? Maybe not when they were kids, but now, now Naruto was an adult so maybe he could find his father and sister and protect them. Now he really wanted to go to Japan. Maybe he could hire someone to help him find them – he knew their names at least. And if that didn't work, he could always try using his newfound powers to find them…

Only problem was, a trip to Japan was really fucking expensive. Just taking the plane cost a lot of money. Kakashi's salary was enough to support them both, but he couldn't afford such a trip. Now Naruto regretted never taking a part-time job.

Suddenly his train of thoughts drifted to something else entirely. He wondered if Sasuke was a vampire. It would make sense. It would explain why he was so weird, and… so pale. It would also explain why he somehow seemed much older than he looked.

Something Sasuke had said over the phone came back to mind. "I'm more of a night person." Oh God… humoristic vampire now, how great. Then he frowned as he remembered all those times Sasuke had looked at him in the eye and asked him to kiss him. And Naruto had done it. He sat up straight in his bed and picked up his cell phone.

What an asshole! He had used his vampire powers to force him to kiss him! Was he gonna use his powers to force him to have sex with him too? What a jerk! Naruto would call him, and give him a piece of his mind.

Thoughts kept racing in his head as he dialed the number. Sasuke was from Japan. Maybe he knew something about his family. Maybe this was why he had approached him in the first place. So many questions… and he needed answers. He would make Sasuke answer. Except he didn't pick up the phone. Pretty damn big flaw in his master plan.

He threw his cell away again and crawled under the sheets. He felt so exhausted. He needed to rest. Aw damn… now he had to get up to turn off the light. He felt so lazy… And then, just like that, the light turned off by itself. Well, this power was incredibly convenient… Naruto was so tired that no more thought entered his mind before he drifted into sleep.

* * *

><p>Hey guys! So cause it was really short you get two chapters today^^<p>

And... for Naruto's sister, I didn't want to use Naruko. I mean, who'd name their kids Naruto and Naruko? That's just my opinion lol


	5. Torture

Chapter 5 – Torture

He could no longer feel his body. There was only pain. His vision was blurry, and he kept falling in and out of consciousness. The worst thing was that he was in his own house. Orochimaru had locked him up and tortured him in his own god damn basement. Now Sasuke regretted never bothering to have it finished. It was just a cave with cold floor, and nowhere comfortable to sit or lie down. Orochimaru had handcuffed him, and he was too weak to break free.

His little vampire wannabees had all fed from him. It had made Sasuke much weaker, and it had made them stronger at the same time. Sasuke had been so pissed off and angry but now these emotions were gone, and all was left was pain. Everyday Orochimaru came to see him, and he would slide a blade through his heart, saying, "I want to kill you slowly, my dear."

He had also raped him, and it had reminded Sasuke of Varin. He kept making nightmares, whenever he drifted to unconsciousness. He relived the most horrible moment of his entire existence.

Varin was a very old vampire, and he tended to get bored. He had already found Sakura, and he was seeking a new pet. When he had found Sasuke, he had taken a liking in him, unfortunately for the young man. He had done the most horrible thing to him. He had turned him into a vampire, and then he had used his superior powers to compel him to kill his own family; his father, his mother, and his dear older brother.

So in the cold, moonless night Sasuke had picked up his katana and he had slaughtered them one after the other. His body was moving on its own and he felt so helpless. He wanted to protect his family from himself but he couldn't. His brother Itachi had opened his eyes just before receiving the fatal blow and they had gone wide in shock and betrayal. This image would haunt Sasuke for the rest of his long, pointless life…

He was feverish and crying and he continued making nightmares. He didn't know how long it had been. Two days, three, maybe? How long could a vampire survive drained of his blood like this? Oh but Sasuke knew all too well…

After escaping from Varin he had willingly buried himself in the ground, right under the old house of the Uchiha in Kyoto. He had been sleeping there, starved and looking like a skeleton, for two centuries, no less… Until a vampire named Suigetsu had found him. But that was another story… a much less painful one… and it seemed at the moment his subconscious wanted to haunt him with nothing but painful memories.

When Orochimaru entered the basement Sasuke didn't so much as acknowledge him. Would he rape him? Would he drink his blood? Would he torture him some more? Sasuke didn't care anymore. And he knew Orochimaru would be disappointed if he didn't show any fear. He wasn't scared of dying anymore. Dying was better than this pain.

He decided maybe he should try to infuriate Orochimaru, so that he would end his life instead of "killing him slowly."

"Oi Orochimaru," he muttered in a rasp voice, but that was the best he could do, "how does it feel finally having me at your mercy after stalking me in vain for what, almost 300 years now if I'm not mistaken? Weren't you frustrated all this time, huh?"

The vampire came to sit beside him and his eyes darkened. He grabbed the hilt of his knife and stabbed him in the chest. Then he turned it in Sasuke's wound. The latter repressed a yell of pain.

"How did it feel when you…" Sasuke managed, breathing hard, "When you worked so hard to get someone to change you into a vampire so that you could be with me… and then… realized that I didn't want anything to do with you, huh?"

"Maybe I should just kill you," Orochimaru frowned.

Yes, yes, Sasuke thought, kill me. Anything but this pointless and endless torture…

His relief must have showed in his eyes for the briefest instant because Orochimaru smirked.

"Or not…"

Well damn…

To Sasuke's surprise he took out the knife.

"Get up," Orochimaru growled.

He grabbed his arm and yanked him up. Sasuke fell to his knees, and Orochimaru pulled him up again. This time Sasuke managed to half-stumble beside the other vampire.

"Where are you taking me?" Sasuke asked.

"You'll see," he smirked, "it's a surprise."

They walked out of the basement and Sasuke saw that a few of Orochimaru's minions were chilling in the large living room. It infuriated him that they were taking shelter in his house.

"By the way," Orochimaru said, "you didn't tell me there was a witch in this town. Two of my little friends have been killed. But torturing you makes it all worth it."

Sasuke frowned; did this mean Naruto's powers had been unlocked? Probably… unless there was another witch or magician in town, but it was highly unlikely.

He was filled with dread as he realized where Orochimaru was leading him. The sauna. He had never used it, but the humans who had previously occupied this house had it installed.

Vampires were incredibly vulnerable to heat. Their skin and body temperature was colder than humans and they couldn't stand heat.

Orochimaru threw him in and turned on the temperature to the max. Then he destroyed the controller.

"Have fun, Sasuke," he smiled before destroying the handle of the door as well and locking him inside.

"Son of a bitch," the raven muttered before letting himself fall on the bench.

…

Naruto was freaking out. It had been three days. He had been attacked by another vampire, and once more he had destroyed him with fire – this time though he had been careful not to burn his own clothes as well. In the news they kept announcing more disappearances. There was clearly a bunch of vampires in town, but… what was he supposed to do? When he had asked Kakashi, the latter had answered that it wasn't his place or decision to make.

Was Naruto supposed to chase after them and destroy them? Was this one of those superhero movie situations? With great powers comes great responsibility?

Also Kakashi had complained that they had lost electricity and he suspected Naruto. Maybe using his powers to close the lights in his bedroom at night wasn't such a good idea.

Not only that, but also, to add to his despair, Jeremy and he had been paired up to be a gay couple in the first play of the acting class. Great…

So on Thursday evening after his classes, Naruto met up with his ex in an empty classroom to practice their lines.

"I think we need to practice the kissing scene," Jey smiled at him, "it's been a while."

Naruto dropped his bag on a desk and glared at him, "There is no kissing scene, Jey."

"Oh, my mistake, I must have read the play wrong."

"Did you pay the teacher so that we'd be paired up?" Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"No! I swear, I didn't, it's just dumb luck!"

"Right…"

They started practicing their parts but Jey was acting overly flirty and it was really starting to get on Naruto's nerves. When his cell phone rang he was glad for the distraction. But when he checked caller id and saw Sasuke's name, he froze.

"Who is it?" Jey asked, looking over his shoulder.

Naruto shoved him away and stepped out of the classroom to answer it.

"So you're finally answering my calls?"

The voice who replied wasn't Sasuke's, although it also had a Japanese accent.

"Hi, my name is Suigetsu. I'm an old friend of Sasuke's. He's in trouble and I'm trying to help him, but I'm not powerful enough on my own. D'you think you could help me out?"

"Why do you have his phone?" Naruto replied, suspicious.

"Long story. Is there some place we could meet?"

"Why should I trust you?"

"If my suspicions are correct you have powerful magical powers?"

"How do you know…?"

"Look could we meet somewhere? It would make things much simpler."

"All right…"

Naruto told him the indications to his favorite coffee shop, and they hung up. He walked back to the classroom.

"Sorry Jey, I've gotta go. Let's practice another time."

"But…"

"This is really important," Naruto insisted. "We can meet tomorrow instead…"

"Don't you have a game?"

"Right," Naruto sighed. He had almost forgotten. "Monday evening then."

"Fine," Jeremy finally complied.

Outside, he almost ran to the coffee shop. He had been reluctant on the phone, but now he was immensely curious as to what this Suigetsu guy had to say. And Sasuke being in trouble, what was up with that? He hadn't known him for very long, but he still cared about him – somehow.

It turned out he had been running for nothing. The coffee shop was almost empty, and there were definitely no vampires in here. Yeah, he could sense them now. The second vampire who had attacked him had been really easy to defeat. Naruto had sensed him coming. He ordered a large latte and went to sit at his favorite table in the back.

He didn't have to wait too long. Soon a vibrant blue car drove by the restaurant full speed and parked with a screeching sound of wheels. A young man got out. He was a vampire, Naruto knew it right away. He had bleached silvery hair that went down to his shoulders and he wore sunglasses. He opened an umbrella to protect himself even though the day was cloudy and there was no sunlight. Naruto supposed it was a necessary precaution, in case the clouds suddenly drifted and revealed the bright sunlight. Naruto wondered if he could do that with his powers. Eh, probably not.

As the vampire made his way inside he closed the umbrella again and he placed the sunglasses on top of his head. He spotted Naruto, smiled, and came to sit in front of him.

"How'd you know who I was?" Naruto asked.

"You were staring at me," he shrugged, "besides, you fit the description."

"The description?" he frowned.

The vampire crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, "How to say this, hum, there's a bunch of vampires in town, and…"

"I already knew that," Naruto interrupted.

"And," Suigetsu continued, "although you killed two of them – good job by the way – it seems one was able to spy on you. He knows that your name is Naruto and that you have blond hair and blue eyes. That's what I meant by you fit the description. And when I saw your name in Sasuke's phone I knew it was you."

"So why'd you have his phone?"

"I found it," Suigetsu said.

"Uh-huh…"

"Look," he locked eyes with him, and Naruto realized they were a strange shade of blue, more like violet, actually, "I know Sasuke lives here. When I heard in the news that there had been a bunch of unexplained disappearances and killings in the region recently I figured there was a shit load of stupid and probably new born vampires. So I came here to make sure he was fine."

"Couldn't you just call him?"

"See, Naruto," he gave an amused smile, "the last time Sasuke and I saw each other cell phones didn't exist yet."

"Oh…"

"I've been searching the fancier areas of town and I sensed the vampires. They're hiding in some big mansion – I'm guessing that's Sasuke's place. And I think he's in there too so… His cell, I just found it cause I was lucky. It was on the front yard so he must have dropped it when he was attacked or something. So yeah, I heard the conversations of the vampires inside, I saw your name in the cell, I put two and two together. Satisfied? Can we move on now?"

"So what's going on?" Naruto asked, "Why do you need my help?"

"Hum… can you please kill the vampires for me?" He smiled, "With your super special awesome magic powers?"

"I'm gonna need some more explanations."

"Aw damn you want the whole story?"

"Uh, yeah, whatever."

"Kay. Back in Japan Sasuke and I, we were actors, musicians, performers, whatever you call it. And… I think it was in 1750 or something like that…"

"1750?" Naruto's eyes widened.

"Yeah something like that, anyway, Sasuke got himself a fan. Well he had tons of fans but this one was… crazy, and obsessed. You know the guy who ended up shooting John Lennon? Yeah, that kinda fan. He investigated and had Sasuke followed and he found out he was a vampire. So he managed to find a vampire somewhere – I have no idea how he did it, maybe he was just lucky – and asked him to change him in exchange for all his fortune. I think he was a feudal lord or something. Anyway, the vampire accepted, so Orochimaru became a vampire – uh, that's his name, I'm not really good at story telling, sorry – and then… wait, where was I?"

"Hum… he became a vampire?" Naruto raised a brow.

"Yeah! And then he went to talk to Sasuke and he was all like, now we can be together forever. Sasuke laughed in his face. Not just a chuckle, a real laugh. And Sasuke doesn't do that often. Anyway, Orochimaru wasn't too happy with that. But he didn't give up. He continued chasing us through Japan, it was really annoying. And then we left the country. But it seems Orochimaru-san still hasn't given up. And now he's brought his little friends, so I'm not strong enough to save him by myself. He's torturing Sasuke as we speak. So… can we go save him now? Please?"

"Wait… why would he torture him if he loves him so much?"

"I told you! He's insane! And, well, he probably wants revenge."

"Why?" Naruto frowned.

"Because Sasuke's always been such a jerk to him! Always calling him pathetic with that really mean glare he does. Well I thought it was funny. But now it's not funny anymore. Orochimaru needs to die. And his little friends too. Come on Naruto! It'll be fun! I thought you witches were always looking for opportunities to kill vampires!"

"Why don't I kill you then?" he said teasingly.

Suigetsu looked scared. His eyes widened and he uncrossed his legs, moving back instinctively. Huh, Naruto was impressed at how much he could scare him just with a few words.

"Hey, I'm a good vampire okay," Suigetsu said nervously, "I never kill humans. Well, almost never. I mean, I haven't done it in a really long time! And I'll never do it again, I swear!"

"I was kidding. And by the way, don't say witch, it's too effeminate."

"Well what do you want me to call you, a wizard?"

"Ugh no it sounds like I'm a Harry Potter wannabe."

"Can we get back to the point?" Suigetsu said, annoyed.

"And what would that be?"

"You're being such a jerk! Aren't you his friend?"

"No," Naruto replied.

"I knew it!" Suigetsu hit the table in frustration, "There was no way in hell that bastard could've made friends. But then why were you trying to call him?"

"That's… none of your business."

Suigetsu's eyes lit up, "Oh! So it's like that, huh… I'm jealous."

"Let's just go," Naruto said. He was getting annoyed by the turn of this conversation.

"Really? Ah great, thanks! For a moment there I was scared you would say no."

They made their way outside and Naruto was once more envious of a car. Suigetsu started driving, putting on his sunglasses even if the sky was dark by now. The song Losing my religion by REM was on. The sound system was connected to a small blue IPod.

"You can change it if you don't like it," Suigetsu said, following his glance.

"Oh, no, it's a really good song," Naruto said.

"Good! There aren't enough young people with good musical taste these days."

"I guess, hum… Suigetsu…"

"I mean they're all crazy about Lady Gaga, or…"

"...I need to tell you..."

"...that Katy Perry girl, I mean, have you heard the lyrics to..."

"Suigetsu!"

"What?"

"There's something I need to tell you."

This guy was under the impression that Naruto was some bad ass, hum, magician guy or something, but he really wasn't. And he needed to make that clear before they were killed in that house lurking with vampires.

"Confessions, confessions, huh?" Suigetsu took off his sunglasses and glanced at him sideways, smiling, "Let me guess! You like me? Well I like you too. When we save Sasuke maybe we can have a threesome…"

"Shut up already! Look, what I'm trying to say is, I've only had my powers for like, a few days!"

Suigetsu's smile disappeared. He stopped the car on the side of the road abruptly.

"What?" he exclaimed, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Well," Naruto started defensively, "I still killed two of them. I'm improving really quickly…"

Suigetsu face palmed. He turned off the music and leaned back in his seat.

"Fuck…"

"What's with the sudden lack of confidence?" Naruto asked, "Just how many vampires are there? Cause I'm pretty sure I can make them all burn."

"I mean," Suigetsu said after a moment of silence, "a few days… That's not enough to control your powers, is it?"

"I'll do my best," Naruto replied.

"I'll trust you," Suigetsu looked up at him, "first because I don't have much of a choice, and second because I met someone like you before. Just one. You guys are pretty rare, but you're also fucking overpower."

"Was he an Uzumaki?" Naruto asked, hopeful.

"No, his name was Inuzuka. I'll never forget." Suigetsu's eyes suddenly took a faraway look, "I was being a smart ass and he shut me up all right. The guy could… he could just summon the rain, and lightning. He hit me with lightning! I almost died… Sasuke saved me back then, so I feel like I owe him you know?"

"Sasuke killed him?" Naruto asked.

"No!" Suigetsu chuckled, "He was way too powerful. Sasuke made a deal with him. He said we would never kill humans again, and that we would help him get rid of all the vampires in town."

"Did you?" Naruto asked as the vampire started driving again.

"Nope. We were big fat lying jerks… Guess I probably shouldn't tell you this hum… I'd never lie to you, I promise. Him I didn't mind lying to because, hell, he tried to kill me! Okay so maybe he was just trying to protect the humans but hey! You can't ask a vampire to stop drinking human blood I mean, that's like asking a… a… I don't know a wolf to stop eating hum… rabbits? Is that a lame example? I'm sorry…"

"Suigetsu. Shut up and keep your eyes on the road."

"Kay."

Naruto wondered if his friends found him annoying like that when he talked too much.

After a few more minutes drive Suigetsu parked in front of a beautiful mansion, next to Sasuke's Ferrari.

"I'm surprised they didn't steal it," Naruto commented.

"Oh they probably tried…" Suigetsu said and then he glanced away, embarrassed.

"What?"

"I tried to use it as well. But it has tons of protection, I mean, anti-theft devices and stuff… Hey you can't blame me I mean have you seen the car?"

"You must not really care about him," Naruto said, "if all you were thinking about was stealing his car."

"Not stealing! I just wanted to use it! Anyway, you ready? Do you feel bad ass and overpower?"

"Hum…" Naruto scratched his hair.

"Then let's do this!"

* * *

><p>I know I'm evil with this cliffhanger. But you know I update fast.<p> 


	6. Fight

Chapter 6 – Fight

As Naruto and Suigetsu got out of the car, simultaneously two vampires walked out of the house. Naruto immediately concentrated and, just like that, right in front of their eyes, the creatures burst into flames. Suigetsu jumped and laughed like crazy.

"Ah man that was awesome!"

He even hugged Naruto, but then he immediately pulled away, frowning.

"You're hot! I mean, literally."

"Yeah whenever I use this power my skin just becomes boiling hot, but it doesn't even hurt me. It's like it's normal for my body to be like this. Weird, huh?"

"Yeah well don't come near me," Suigetsu said, taking some distance.

Naruto grinned, "Just tell me who to kill next."

"Everyone that's not Sasuke! And especially Orochimaru."

"Got it," he said even though he had no idea what Orochimaru looked like.

They made their way inside and were surprised to find the hall empty. It was a very impressive house, really. Everything was decorated in fancy gothic style. Naruto decided he liked it. But they weren't here to admire the furniture or anything. They continued walking along the hallway, passing a few more empty rooms. Naruto glanced sideways at Suigetsu.

"You can sense them too, right? They're upstairs…"

The vampire nodded, and frowned, "They're coming down… Fuck, be careful!"

There were a few gun shots, and Suigetsu pushed Naruto to the floor, shielding him with his body. He got hit in the shoulder and groaned in pain. More gun shots were coming, but instinctively Naruto held up his hand and the bullets just… stopped midair and fell to the floor.

"Oh my God! That was... just like the Matrix!"

"Yeah that's great and all," Suigetsu said, "but could you…"

"Yeah."

They got back up and Naruto made the vampires burn. He was careful to take out the flames before the house itself started burning though.

"Dude your eyes turn red when you do this, it's so cool!" Suigetsu said as he observed him.

All Naruto could think of saying was, "Damn, I really am over power…"

But he had spoken too fast, because as he said this he started feeling weak. His legs gave in and he almost fell. Suigetsu seemed weakened himself and his shoulder was bleeding, and yet he held Naruto up.

"Please tell me you still got some energy? Orochimaru's coming and I don't think he's too happy with us."

"I don't know," Naruto frowned, "Maybe I overdid it…"

"Just a few more flames," Suigetsu pleaded.

"I'll… try."

Three more vampires walked down the stairs. Before Naruto could try anything they ran towards them and attacked. Still following his instincts, Naruto produced some sort of protection of flames around him, but that was all he could do. At least the vampires couldn't approach him.

He turned to look at Suigetsu. He had taken the two first vampires down very quickly.

"Heh, killing newborns sure is fun. But a little bit too easy. Now it's your turn Orochi asshole."

The last of the enemy vampires remaining wore a smirk on his lips.

"Looks like your friend has used up all his energy."

Suigetsu glanced at Naruto worriedly. The blond shrugged helplessly. Orochimaru was right; he could no longer keep up the flames.

Orochimaru came towards him quickly and he grabbed him by the collar. He sent him flying towards the opposite wall powerfully before Naruto could even think of fighting back.

For a split second Naruto was very scared, expecting a rough collision that could shatter his bones, but actually he landed into something soft – a body.

"Suigetsu…"

"Ah… no need to thank me."

"Sorry," Naruto whispered as he collapsed on the floor. He was still conscious, but he felt drained of all energy.

"Don't be. You've done enough," Suigetsu got back on his feet, "let me handle this!"

"Like you could defeat me," Orochimaru snorted.

"I'm older than you!"

"Oh, I'm scared. By what, not even a century? Please, that doesn't change anything. And you've lost some blood, my friend," he pointed at his shoulder.

Suigetsu flinched in fear and took a step back. Orochimaru jumped on him and crushed him against the wall, strangling him. But Suigetsu grabbed his arms to get a grip and powerfully kneed him in the stomach. Orochimaru growned and took a few steps back, clutching his stomach in pain. Suigetsu used this opportunity to kick his head.

Naruto could have sworn Orochimaru's neck had cracked, but that didn't stop him. He growled and ran towards Suigetsu. But the latter was waiting for him. He grabbed him and threw him against the wall. Thank God the house was solid, Naruto thought. He tried to get up to help Suigetsu, but he still felt too weak. So this was the downside of using his powers so much…

Suigetsu and Orochimaru continued struggling and fighting – they seemed to be of equal forces. If only Naruto could find something to help. As if on cue his eyes did land on something that could be useful. That nightstick police officers use, well, one of the knocked out vampires had it attached to his waist. Naruto crawled towards it, picked it up, and called Suigetsu's name before throwing it. The latter turned just in time to catch it.

He hit Orochimaru repeatedly. The latter was clearly starting to weaken. Suigetsu hit his jaw so powerfully that his neck did break this time. Orochimaru's body fell to the floor, seemingly lifeless.

After a few moments of simply panting and looking at his fallen opponent, Suigetsu turned to look at Naruto.

"Flames?"

"Sorry man," he shook his head.

Suigetsu nodded thoughtfully. He glanced behind him at the two vampires he had knocked out earlier, "These two I don't really care about. Even if they wake up, I could kill them with my eyes closed. But I'm worried Orochimaru will wake up… All right, Naruto, close your eyes, this ain't gonna be pretty."

The blond kept his eyes open but he regretted it. Suigetsu ripped Orochimaru's head off – literally. Naruto felt nauseous, and he clutched his chest. He was suddenly thankful he had skipped dinner.

Without a word Suigetsu took out a tissue from his jeans pocket and wiped his hands. As he did this he walked past Naruto and went further in the hallway. Right, Sasuke was at the back of the house, Naruto could sense his presence as well. It looked like Suigetsu would have his heroic rescue after all.

"Ah shit!" He heard Suigetsu exclaim in despair a few seconds later.

Or not… What was going on? Was Sasuke dead already? For some reason this pained Naruto. He barely knew the guy, and yet… But no, he couldn't be dead if he felt his presence.

"What a fucking asshole! If I hadn't killed him already, I'd do it all over again! Naruto can you stand? I don't think I can go in there it's too hot…"

Suigetsu was walking back towards him. Naruto nodded; he had regained enough strength to at least stand. So he did, and faced the vampire.

"What's going on?"

"Come on," Suigetsu took his arm and led him forward.

They stopped in front of the last door. It was just beside a bathroom, and also the back door of the house, from which you could see a pool. But Naruto barely noticed this.

"Shit," he whispered.

The raven-haired vampire was unconscious in that room. It was some sort of sauna and the temperature was way too high – it was very uncomfortable for a human, and from what Naruto understood it wasn't exactly good news for a vampire.

Proving his theory, Suigetsu was backing away, "Can you get him out of there?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah..."

He only hoped he had enough strength. But he had to. Sasuke was all beat up. His body was so skinny and covered with blood, bruises and bite marks. Naruto stepped inside the room and he felt even more nauseous and weak, but he held his ground. He stopped in front of the vampire and slid his arms under him to pick him up. Unsurprisingly he was very light, even more than Naruto had expected, actually, so it turned out it was easy enough to carry him.

"You can give him now," Suigetsu said as Naruto walked out.

"I got it," Naruto replied.

He went to climb the stairs up. Strangely most of his strength seemed to have returned. Sasuke's head rolled on his shoulder and a faint moan escaped his lips.

"Where are you going?" Suigetsu asked as he followed him.

"I just wanted to get away from all those bodies…"

"Right, well, just put him down somewhere already so I can give him my blood!"

"Oh, sure, sorry," Naruto bit his lip.

He walked into what he assumed to be Sasuke's bedroom, and he put him down on the large bed. He took off his hoodie to cover him up - it wasn't a blanket, but he felt like it was better than nothing.

He whispered something again, and this time Naruto understood. It was his name.

"Well, well," Suigetsu looked at him teasingly, "looks like you've got an admirer."

Naruto blushed slightly, "Just hurry up already!"

"Don't worry; your new love interest isn't going to die. I'm gonna make him all better."

The silver-haired vampire sat on the bed and slit his wrist open with his teeth. Naruto flinched at the sight but he supposed that was unavoidable. Then Suigetsu placed his wrist near Sasuke's face. A few droplets of blood fell on the pale lips, and the next instant Sasuke was biting Suigetsu's skin and drinking his blood.

"I think he likes it," Suigetsu said. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Is it really gonna help him?"

"Yeah… take a look."

Suigetsu pulled back the hoodie with his free hand and Naruto looked at Sasuke's chest, intrigued. There had been a large gash in the flesh on his left side and now it was healing super fast.

"Why don't you go get a wet cloth to clean him up?"

"I'm not a slave," Naruto replied.

"I'd do it myself but…!" Suigetsu was clearly indicating the fact that Sasuke was still feeding from him.

Naruto finally complied and did as he was told. He found a bathroom on the second floor and wet a clean rag with cold water. He noticed the place was a total mess, but Naruto suspected this wasn't Sasuke's fault. The ones responsible for this were most likely Orochimaru and his little friends.

When he returned to the bedroom Sasuke had stopped drinking. Naruto gave the rag to Suigetsu so that he could start cleaning the dried blood from Sasuke's body.

"Suigetsu?" Sasuke whispered as his eyes focused on him.

"Yup."

"What the hell did you do to your hair?"

"It's called bleach," Suigetsu said, "and by the way, we haven't seen each other in over fifty years and I took an international flight just to come save your ass, so I'd expect a bit more than what the hell did you do to your hair."

Sasuke laughed. He bent his knees and clutched the hoodie on his stomach as he tilted his head back in the pillows and laughed. Suigetsu and Naruto exchanged a glance.

"Is he okay…?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto," Sasuke said. He stopped laughing and turned his head slightly to look up into Naruto's eyes, "You're here."

Suigetsu reached with his hand to touch Sasuke's forehead.

"I think he has a fever or something."

"Vampires can get fever?" Naruto raised a brow.

"Apparently… his skin is still abnormally warm so…"

Suddenly Sasuke sat up and threw himself in Suigetsu's arms. He started crying uncontrollably, his body racked with sobs. Suigetsu held him back, and Naruto could see it in his strange violet eyes at his moment; he cared and loved Sasuke very much. Naruto felt out of place and... a little jealous but he stayed anyway. He wanted to make sure Sasuke was okay.

"Shh it's okay," Suigetsu whispered, "don't go crying out all the blood I just gave you now…"

Apparently he couldn't go on very long without making bad jokes. Naruto was about to leave them alone when Sasuke pulled away and looked up at him with teary dark eyes. In the light of the room Naruto noticed for the first time that they were grey, but so dark that they appeared black.

"You look so much like her," he whispered, "like Kushina."

Naruto's eyes widened and he leaned closer to Sasuke, "You knew my mother?"

To his despair the raven slowly closed his eyes and fell back in the bed. He eventually curled up on his side, and frowned and moaned in his sleep.

"Your mother's name was Kushina?" Suigetsu asked quietly.

Naruto nodded, still looking at Sasuke.

"I don't think Sasuke knew her. He knew a Kushina Uzumaki back in 15th century Italy."

"Oh…"

"I can tell you what I know if you want," Suigetsu shrugged, "cause we've got to let him sleep for now."

"Yeah I'd like that," Naruto said, "but let me just make one phone call first…"

"You do that," Suigetsu got up and made his way out the room, "I'll take care of our little friends downstairs."

Sitting on the bed next to Sasuke, Naruto dialed Kakashi's number.

Unsurprisinglly the latter burst out, "Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"I'm so sorry Kakashi, but everything's been so crazy lately…"

"I know! What with you being paired up with your obsessed ex for your class. I thought he had kidnapped you!"

"Oh… hum, no I meant like, vampires and stuff."

"Oh, that."

"Yeah. I killed like, a bunch of vampires tonight. It was intense…"

"I'm proud of you. Be careful okay?"

What good advice…

"Yeah okay. Just don't worry about me and go to sleep I'll see you tomorrow."

After they hung up Naruto's eyes lingered on Sasuke. He seemed better already. Vampires really did have a fast recovery. But Naruto was impressed by his own physical condition, too. Only a few minutes earlier he had been on the floor and about to pass out of exhaustion, and now he was just fine.

He got up but before leaving he brought the sheets up to Sasuke's shoulders. His fingers caressed the smooth pale skin briefly, and then he caressed his hair as well. Then he pulled away and shook his head. What was he doing? He shouldn't be all affectionate like this. When he woke up and felt better, Sasuke would hear a piece of his mind. He had manipulated him into kissing him and that, Naruto couldn't forgive easily.

When he returned downstairs he couldn't find Suigetsu anywhere. But the three bodies were also gone. Naruto concentrated, and he sensed the vampire's presence on the backyard, so he made his way there. Apparently he had brought Orochimaru's body there.

"Ah, Naruto," Suigetsu said, "if you could just burn him it would be perfect…"

"Yeah I've got it," he said.

He concentrated and immediately Orochimaru's body burst into flames.

"Perfect!" Suigetsu said again, "So you recover your strength pretty fast huh? Man I'm glad to be your friend!"

Naruto decided to tease him a little. "I never said we were friends."

Suigetsu took a step back and held his hands up, "Ah, well, hum…"

"Just kidding, man. As long as you don't kill anyone."

"I promise I'll try!"

"Suigetsu!" Naruto whined.

"All right, all right, hum… I'll just steal from a hospital's blood supplies."

"I can live with that," the blond said. "So where are the two others?"

"I let them go. I told them never to come back around here."

Naruto nodded. The dead vampire's body had almost completely gone to ashes already. He looked up at the smoke going up in the night sky, and shivered. Sasuke still had his hoodie.

"Let's go back in," Suigetsu suggested.

Naruto followed him and they went to sit on the biggest couch in the living room. He bent his knees and hugged himself as he looked at Suigetsu.

"You looked like a frightened animal," he said.

"Hey I _should_ be traumatized," Naruto said defensively, "I mean, I met Sasuke last weekend, then I'm attacked by some random vampires, and now this… Oh shit," he added as he checked his cell phone, "we're technically Friday, and not only do I have classes but also a basket ball game… it's gonna be a long day."

"Use your powers to knock the other team out," Suigetsu teased.

"Yeah cause that's not cheating."

"So you only met Sasuke last weekend?"

"Yeah," Naruto chuckled.

"And here I thought he had gotten himself a boyfriend."

"Not exactly. Hey Suigetsu?"

"Yeah?" he looked up.

"Can we talk about… what you know about my ancestors?"

"Oh, well, I don't know much. I only know what Sasuke told me, and he never told me anything. But, when you live with someone for over two hundred years you get to know each other pretty well. You know the way he looked earlier, skinny and all? That's nothing compared to when I found him in Kyoto, buried underground. For a while that's all I knew about him. He was some vampire I had found and helped back to life just cause I was bored."

"Can we get to the point?"

"Have some respect for your elders!" Suigetsu exclaimed.

"Have some respect for the guy who can burst you into flames any moment."

"Ah, touché. Okay so hum… Kushina, right. She was a witch, obviously, and she had some sort of pact with the vampire who had changed Sasuke. Honestly, that's pretty much all I know. But Sasuke looked sad when he told me about her. I was curious because like I said before, witches are pretty rare. I wanted to know more. But he wouldn't tell me much. He just said that she had been the only one to try to help him."

"Help him?"

"That's a long story," Suigetsu sighed, "the way he cried earlier, it freaked me out cause it reminded me of when he finally told me the truth about his past. It's no fairy tale."

"I don't care! Just tell me about her."

"Look I'm just trying to help you! I don't know much! You'll have to ask him, but you'll have to be careful, okay? If you just ask, he's not gonna tell you anything. You'll have to be subtle about it."

"If I threaten to use my powers? That could work, too." Naruto said.

"I think I'm starting to know you," Suigetsu made a little smile and leaned closer, "and you're a nice guy. You wouldn't do that."

Naruto opened his palm and a flame appeared above it. He made a movement as if he were about to throw it at the vampire.

Suigetsu crawled away, "Okay! Okay! I'll shut up now."

The blond closed his palm and the flame disappeared. He couldn't help but smile, fascinated by his powers. This was so cool…

"Hum," Suigetsu laughed nervously as he stood, "I'm gonna go… take a shower now. Blood all over me and stuff. And then I'm probably gonna try cleaning the house a little before Sasuke wakes up. He can be kind of a neat freak. If he sees it like that, with ashes all over the stairs and all… It won't be pretty. D'you wanna give me a hand? Maybe you could clean it up with your magical powers?"

"Sorry but no. I have a life to go back to… you know, school," he checked his cell, "in a few hours, damn it. I need to go home and get some sleep. I suppose you won't be giving me a ride?"

Suigetsu reached for his pocket, "Take my car," he said as he threw him his keys.

Naruto's eyes widened, "You're kidding?"

"You know how to drive a manual?"

"Yeah…"

"Then no I'm not kidding," Suigetsu smiled, "I owe you. Also I'm buying your friendship."

"Well it's working," Naruto laughed, "all right see ya later man."

"It's a rental so try not to break it!"

"Bye Suigetsu!" he exclaimed as he stepped outside.

Later as he drove back home, he was smiling despite all the freaky things that had happened to him. Maybe he had it in him to deal with all that pretty easily. But most of all he was enjoying this moment. With music bursting loud and driving this sweet car, it just felt good. Then he remembered that it would be a pain in the ass to get up in the morning and his smile disappeared…

Naruto blamed Sasuke. This was his entire fault, somehow. Naruto had yet to give him that speech about using his mind tricks, and also to threaten to kill him with his powers. So what if he was enjoying this a little bit too much?


	7. Jealousy

Chapter 7 – Jealousy

When Sasuke woke up he was clutching an unknown piece of clothing. It smelled like Naruto. He frowned and swung his legs out of his bed, only to realize that he was completely naked. Well there was nothing new there; he always slept naked. Except he didn't remember going to bed, and… why had he been holding Naruto's hoodie?

Not only that, but he also felt somewhat… dirty. There were some remnants of dried blood sticking to his skin. He needed a shower.

He went to the bathroom and as he turned on the water it all came back to him at once. Orochimaru, his little army, the basement, the blade through his heart, being drained of his blood, the nightmares, the hallucinations, the sauna, the heat, the pain, the fever… And then nothing.

There was only one possible conclusion… Naruto had saved him. But it didn't make sense, why would Naruto go through all this trouble just to save him? And also, Sasuke felt… replenished. This feeling was familiar, although it belonged to a long lost past. He had fed from another vampire. And there could be only one.

His lips curled into a small smile as he stepped under the cool water. It was soothing and he closed his eyes and let his body relax. Slowly but thoroughly he cleaned himself. He knew he could never wash away the pain and humiliation he had been through the past few days but it was better than nothing. He wondered if Orochimaru was dead. Now _that_ would make him happy.

When he was finished he wrapped a towel around his hips and he returned to his bedroom. He put on some comfortable – but still very stylish – jeans and a black v-neck tee. Then he felt an all too familiar presence enter the house, confirming his suspicions.

"Tadaima!"

Sasuke smiled and almost ran down the stairs. It was very unlike him but he didn't care at this point. Suigetsu was someone very special to him.

"Okaeri," he said.

Suigetsu smiled and threw himself in his arms. Sasuke held him back tightly. He was very happy to see him, no matter his appearance, but he couldn't help but comment on it. Suigetsu had bleached silvery hair and he wore tight black jeans with a white shirt and a sparkly black jacket over it.

"I can't decide if you look like a pop singer or a manga character," he finally said.

"Yeah I get that a lot." He pulled away, "and you my friend, definitely look better than when I found you."

"Guess you saved me again..."

"Nah actually it was Naruto. Well I did kill Orochimaru, but Naruto killed the rest and got you out of the sauna. Why do you have that in your house anyway?"

Sasuke almost hugged him again. "Thank God… You have no idea how glad I am that he's dead. Fucking creepy stalker."

They sat in front of each other at the dining table and Suigetsu reached out to take his hand.

"Uchiha Sasuke, do you want to marry me?" he said then burst out laughing.

"Hum… is gay marriage legal now? I'm not really aware of these things."

Suigetsu laughed even harder, and he let go of his hand. "I think it's funny how marriage no longer means anything. It's just for fun. I married Ino a couple years ago. Then with another one of my fake id I married a Spanish girl… Sophia."

"Vampire or human?"

"Human back then, vampire now," Suigetsu said sheepishly. "She insisted!"

"So you have two vampires wives?"

"I'm a pimp. I feel like having a husband too."

"Huh-uh… So what are you doing here? Other than proposing to me? How'd you even know where I was?"

"Ino told me," he shrugged, "she came back here like twenty years ago, met with you. That's what she told me anyway."

"It's true," Sasuke replied, "all she wanted was to get in my pants."

"Who doesn't want to get in your pants, Sasuke?"

"Uh…"

"Did she succeed?"

"Well yeah she told me she'd leave me alone after so… I didn't really enjoy it though."

"Oh my God you fucked my wife!" Suigetsu exclaimed in an overly dramatic tone, making the raven roll his eyes.

"So what were you doing here?" Sasuke crossed his legs.

"Every day I checked the local news for San Francisco on the internet, you know, it was my way to make sure you were okay. I saw there had been killings and disappearances and I knew it couldn't be you, so I had to come here see for myself what was going on."

"That's kinda really nice. I never checked news for where you live… Although all I knew was that you were in Europe. I guess it would've taken a while to check every single town."

"Yeah," Suigetsu laughed. "Lately I've been living in France. Et j'adore!"

"Good for you."

"You should come visit me some time!" Suigetsu whined, "I mean come on, just because Varin used to live in Italy doesn't mean he's currently there. And even if he was, Europe isn't like it was in the 15th century Sasuke. I doubt he'd find you that easily. What fake name are you using?"

"I don't have one. I steal everything. I use compulsion."

"Oh God," Suigetsu face palmed, "the world's changed Sasuke! You're gonna have to get legal papers if you want to go through it unnoticed."

"What's your fake name in France?" Sasuke asked, amused.

"Here I'll show you," Suigetsu took out his wallet and produced an id card.

Sasuke took it and narrowed his eyes. The name read, Damien Brasseul.

"Okay I have no idea how to pronounce that."

"You're pathetic Sasu-chan. All you know is Japanese and English. I know French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian…"

"Good for you," Sasuke said again.

"Okay I can see that I'm boring you. Here's a change of subject. You know where I just came back from?"

"No but you're gonna tell me," Sasuke crossed his arms.

"I went to see Naruto's basket ball game. Well mostly I wanted to get my car back. I let him borrow it last night. Anyway, he's good! He's fast and he has good reflexes and all. And he didn't even use his powers to cheat! He made 16 points!"

"Not that this isn't interesting," Sasuke frowned, "but… how did Naruto react to… everything? I mean, he has his powers now?"

"He's surprisingly not freaking out. He's kinda being a bitch about it, threatening to kill me at any moment and stuff."

"Well, what powers is he using so far?"

Suigetsu let out a groan, "Fire…"

"Oh," Sasuke bit his lip, "yeah that could be troublesome."

"Just try not to get on his bad side."

"I wonder if he knows I forced him to kiss me."

"About that…" Suigetsu shifted in his chair.

"What?" Sasuke looked up.

"He told me earlier. He knows, and he's pissed. He's coming here soon."

"Soon?"

"He was meeting with his friends at some party first. He didn't even invite me."

"How rude of him."

Suigetsu smiled, and tilted his head to the side, "We could have a little party of our own… If you know what I mean."

"I don't want to have sex with you."

"Ouch. Why? We haven't seen in each other in forever!"

"Exactly," Sasuke got up and stretched, "time to move on, don't you think?"

In an instant Suigetsu was in front of him. He took off his jacket and slid his arms around Sasuke's tiny waist.

"We can still be special friends…"

"I thought you had two wives?"

"I'm craving a male's touch," Suigetsu leaned closer to kiss him.

Sasuke pushed him away playfully. "Go to a gay bar. This town has some real good ones."

"Why don't we go together?" Suigetsu whispered huskily as he came closer again.

"Nope. Not in the mood."

"Is this about Naruto?" Suigetsu pouted, "Because you don't want him to get all bitchy and jealous?"

Sasuke gave a slight shrug, and went to lean against the couch. "Maybe…"

"You've known the guy for what, five minutes?"

"Time doesn't matter when you're a vampire and you know it."

"On the contrary," Suigetsu caressed his hand, and then trailed his fingers up his arm, "it matters all the more. We've known each other for so, so long. We know exactly how to satisfy each other."

"But there's nothing more exciting than novelty," Sasuke argued.

Suigetsu grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him on the couch. Then he climbed on top of him and kissed his neck. Sasuke hesitated for a few seconds, but then he pushed him off the couch and sat up.

"Fine!" Suigetsu exclaimed angrily, "Reject me all you want! But Naruto doesn't even like you that way!"

Sasuke chuckled lightly, "Who's being the jealous bitch now?"

Suigetsu scoffed and adjusted his white t-shirt.

"I'm thirsty."

"Me too," Sasuke said, "let's go hunt."

"No! Your new lover boy will kill us if we dare touch a human. Actually I was thinking… do you have some liquor in here?"

"Yeah." The raven made his way to the kitchen and picked up a bottle of scotch.

When he had poured some in two glasses he handed one to Suigetsu.

"You know," he said after he took a few gulps, "I cleaned the whole house by myself. Not to mention I saved your ass, got rid of the vampires… You should be a little more grateful."

"So you saved me just so that you could get some?" Sasuke teased.

"If I said yes would you have sex with me?"

"No."

"I hate you."

"I missed you," Sasuke replied.

It was sincere. He made a little smile and tilted his head to the side as he observed the smaller guy's reaction.

After a moment of silence Suigetsu said, "Just one kiss."

Sasuke chuckled, "All right…"

They kissed for a long moment. It was familiar and comforting more than anything.

"I fucking knew it!"

The two vampires pulled away, caught in the act. That was Naruto's voice. And indeed there he was standing in the kitchen's entrance. Behind him were two other human boys.

Sasuke raised a brow, "Ever heard of knocking?"

Naruto was shaking slightly. He looked drunk and somewhat weak and tired.

"Here I was getting so worked up over you," he pointed at Sasuke, "when you already had a boyfriend anyway."

Suigetsu laughed nervously, "Who wants a drink?"

The two guys behind Naruto spoke at once, "I do."

Suigetsu proceeded to pour some liquor into three more glasses.

"He's not my boyfriend," Sasuke said, "he's… how would you define our relationship?"

"Hum… brothers?"

"Ugh!" Naruto exclaimed.

"BFFs?" Suigetsu tried again.

"What does that mean?" Sasuke asked.

One of the humans stepped forward. He had short black hair and skin as pale as a vampire's.

"Best friends don't kiss each other!"

"Who're you?" Sasuke asked.

"My name is Sai, and…"

Naruto interrupted him and grabbed Sasuke's arm. He also grabbed the drink Suigetsu was offering with his free hand.

"You and I need to talk."

"Why'd you bring your little fan club?" Sasuke asked, annoyed. But he didn't pull his arm back.

"Jey's the one with the car."

"Hi," the guy with the chestnut hair and brown eyes said. "I'm also his ex."

Sasuke raised a brow at him.

Naruto went on, "Sai kinda hid in the backseat and when we realized he was there we were already here."

"I wanted to make sure Jey wouldn't rape you."

That Jey guy was fuming, "Yeah cause when you do it it's okay, huh Sai?"

They started fighting.

"Ouh yeah cat fight!" Suigetsu was smiling.

Naruto locked eyes with Sasuke, and after taking a sip of his drink and putting it down he wrapped his arms around him. Sasuke didn't understand what was happening at first. Everything went black, and then he realized they were in his bedroom.

"You can do that?" Sasuke exclaimed as they pulled away.

"Yeah," Naruto shrugged and smiled, as if it were perfectly normal. "Earlier at the party I was kinda suffocating with all these people and then I closed my eyes, wanting to escape and be outside. Next thing I knew I was in the backyard."

"Show off. We could've just used the stairs."

"I wanted to see if it worked with someone else too."

"What you mean you didn't try it before? I could've been hurt or something," Sasuke said indignantly.

"Would serve you right!"

"Hey why didn't you just... teleport from the party to my house then? Or did you really want your two little admirers to join us?"

"No!" Naruto said defensively, "Believe me, they annoy the hell out of me! I'm just scared to try it for bigger distances."

Sasuke's expression softened, and he nodded slowly. But Naruto's outburst wasn't finished.

"You bastard! You used your little mind tricks to make me kiss you last week!"

"You're such a good kisser," Sasuke said half-teasing.

Naruto pushed him against the wall, "I could burn you right here and now you know that?"

"Suigetsu did warn me you were bitchy about your powers."

"Don't push it!"

"Look," Sasuke sighed and pulled away softly, "I'm sorry…"

"Were you gonna force me into having sex with you, too?"

"No," Sasuke swallowed hard, "I'd never do that."

It was going too far, and he knew it. It had been done to him in the past, after all. Suddenly he realized that making Naruto kissing him forcefully wasn't much better. He felt guilty and he kinda hated himself now… He hadn't realized…

"I'm sorry," he said again. This time his voice was a mere whisper and he truly meant it.

Naruto seemed to understand that. Even though he was a little drunk he managed to calm down and look serious enough. He went to stand by the window. Sasuke followed him, but stayed a few feet away.

The blond eventually turned to glance at him. His blue eyes were a bit sad.

"You were crying yesterday, after we saved you," he said softly, "do you… need to talk about it, or…?"

Sasuke was taken by surprise. He glanced away, embarrassed.

"I don't remember…"

After another moment of silence Naruto said, "I guess we're even."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke frowned slightly, confused.

"I don't remember the night we met, so..."

Sasuke smiled and went to sit on the bed. Naruto turned completely to face him.

"I guess I can tell you the truth. I was chasing you, to drink your blood."

"You kill humans?" Naruto exclaimed.

Well, duh, Sasuke thought, but he was wise enough not to say it like that.

"Can we talk about this another time?" he said instead.

"Yeah okay," Naruto sighed, "go on."

"At some point you stopped to smoke your joint or whatever. Or maybe you noticed I was following you and you were curious. You weren't scared in the slightest, in any case," Sasuke chuckled.

"Speaking of weed," Naruto sighed again, and took a joint and a lighter out of his jeans pocket, "I kinda need it right now… You don't mind? I mean, the window's open so…"

"I don't mind," Sasuke reassured him. "Anyway, I asked you why you didn't think it was weird that I was following you. And you answered that stalking was cute if the person was hot or something along those lines."

Naruto chuckled, "Wow…" Then he took a whiff of his joint.

"Isn't that thing bad for your health?" Sasuke inquired.

"Can we talk about this another time?"

"Fair enough. Anyway, after that I got closer and I was about to bite your neck, but then, you kissed me."

"I did?" Naruto asked, surprised.

"Yeah… And I don't know I felt… I felt something, you know? So I decided not to bite you. But hey maybe I should've. That way your powers would've been unlocked right away."

"And you would be a pile of ashes."

"Oh," Sasuke swallowed hard, "forget I said anything. I'm glad I chose not to bite you."

After a moment Naruto smiled, and said, "Me too."

Sasuke smiled back. He really was doing that a lot around Naruto.

"Should we go check up on Suigetsu and your friends?" he suggested.

Blue eyes widened in fear, "You're right! D'you think Suigetsu would hurt them?"

"No," Sasuke reassured him, "but we should still check."

It turned out they had been worrying for nothing. Suigetsu, Jey and Sai were standing in the kitchen sipping their drinks, and chatting animatedly.

"So where'd you get the fangs?" Jey asked excitedly, "They look so real!"

"Vampfangs dot com," Suigetsu answered casually, flashing a grin.

Naruto and Sasuke rolled their eyes at once.

"Hey Naruto!" Sai said, completely ignoring Sasuke. "Can I have some?"

The blond handed him the joint, "Sure."

"Go outside if you want to smoke that," Sasuke said.

"But Naruto was smoking it inside just now…"

He locked eyes with Sai, "Get out. Now."

"Right," he said and walked away.

Naruto pushed Sasuke roughly, "What the hell? I told you not to do that!"

"No you didn't," the raven replied.

"Well I'm telling you now! Don't do it!"

"Uh guys," Jey raised a brow, "what are you talking about?"

"They're just weird," Suigetsu said.

"Hey what's your name?"

Naruto and Sasuke froze as they watched the exchange between their exes. It was kind of weird.

"Damien," Suigetsu smiled.

"Oh you're French! I knew you had some sort of accent! Tell me something in French!"

"Avec plaisir mon cher. Come on let's go outside join your friend…"

"But, I don't care about Sai!"

Suigetsu took his arm and led him to the front door. At the last moment he glanced behind at Sasuke and grinned.

"I think Suigetsu's trying to score a threesome," Sasuke said.

Naruto leaned against the counter and picked up the bottle of scotch.

"Well good for him," he said sarcastically.

Sasuke raised a brow. That was his line.

"You know what Naruto, we might just get along."

The blond drank some liquor and made a face. Sasuke took it from him and went to put it back in the mini bar counter.

"That's so cool," Naruto said dreamily as he looked at all the alcohol he had in there.

"Yeah maybe but you've had enough for tonight."

"Can we go back to your bedroom?"

"Yeah sure."

Naruto was half-walking, half-stumbling as they went upstairs. Sasuke ended up putting his arm around him to help him.

"You're not _that_ drunk," he frowned, "why can't you walk properly?"

"Because I saved your ass last night bastard," he replied. He went to sit on the bed, and he rested his head in his hands. "It was intense, you know? And then I really didn't get much sleep… and earlier I had to play my best for the first game of the semester…"

"I understand," Sasuke said as he sat beside him.

Naruto moved back a little, as if he were scared that Sasuke would suddenly start molesting him.

"I wanted you to… tell me about my ancestor, Kushina. You know, that was my mother's name, too. My adoptive father told me about her when I got my powers."

Sasuke glanced away. His heart squeezed in his chest every time he thought about that part of his past… But he didn't want to break down in front of Naruto. He had to find a way to tell him about her without showing him his vulnerable side. Not when he had already cried in front of him the day before…

Without a word he got up and went to get his sketchbook in the closet.

"You draw?" Naruto asked, and something in his beautiful eyes lit up.

"Yeah sometimes," Sasuke answered.

He sat cross legged on the bed and flipped through the pages. He found his drawings of Kushina and showed them to Naruto.

"I used drawings to… express my feelings sometimes," Sasuke explained. "She was something special, this girl."

Naruto was extremely careful as he placed the sketchbook in his lap. Some were very old drawings and were indeed fragile. But some were recent, too. And Sasuke's technique had had a lot of time to improve, so they were quite good.

"See, she looked a lot like you. Same beautiful, big eyes, same full lips, same delicate features and slightly round face… your face is more masculine of course. Your jaw much more pronounced, and… hum, sorry." Sasuke cleared his throat. He noticed Naruto was blushing slightly.

"You loved her," Naruto eventually said in understanding as he looked at the drawings.

"I don't know if it was love…" Sasuke sighed, still searching for a way to explain this without breaking down into tears.

"Tell me," Naruto said softly.

Sasuke took a deep breath. He decided he should talk only about Kushina, and not about himself, and his condition back then. He would try, anyway. It would make things easier.

"She was a very powerful witch, feared by the vampires. It's always been that way," he cleared his throat, "the vampire who changed me, hum, Varin, he had always been after the Uzumaki clan. During the 15th century we lived in Naples… hum, anyway, Kushina lived there as well, with her young children and her husband. She was about your age, actually. I don't know the details, I wasn't there to witness it but… from what I do know, Varin took the children hostage. It was a trap. He wanted to destroy Kushina, and then he knew the kids would be very easy to kill. But she made a deal with him."

"What?" Naruto whispered, looking at him intently and hanging by his every word.

"Basically, she made a very powerful spell against herself and all her descendants to be."

"Including me?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, including you," Sasuke glanced at him. "To put it simply, all the Uzumaki are completely helpless against him. She had no choice; it was to save her family."

"And that Varin guy is still out there?"

"Believe me," the raven sighed shakily, "I would very much like it if he were dead. But unfortunately, something tells me he's still alive."

"Tell me more about her, please."

"Why?" Sasuke asked a little bit too harshly. Then he forced himself to soften his tone, "She lived more than five hundred years ago."

"She looks very much like my mother," Naruto explained in a little voice, as he looked once more at the drawings, "Kakashi, I mean, my adoptive father showed me pictures. And she has the same name, too. So please, I want to know."

Sasuke sighed and glanced away. To his surprise Naruto took his hand.

"Suigetsu told me you didn't like talking about your past. And I understand. But… if you could just tell me a little? Please."

The raven looked at their joined hands, and frowned. He was actually considering opening up. Weird… He had known the guy for a grand total of a week. The only other person who knew some things about his past was Suigetsu, and it had taken him so many years to start opening up… But there were some parts nobody knew about. Nobody except Varin, of course… since he was the cause for it all.

At last he let himself fall back on the bed, and he said, "Another time, maybe…"

Naruto sighed, clearly disappointed. But then he nodded. He closed the sketchbook carefully and put it on the bedside table.

Their hands were still linked. Sasuke pulled him closer and they locked eyes.

"Kiss me," he whispered. He wasn't using any mind tricks this time. It wouldn't have worked anyway, because of Naruto's newly unlocked powers.

The blond leaned closer, and he wiped a bloody tear at the corner of Sasuke's eye. The latter hadn't even realized it was there. Naruto came closer to his lips, but then he said, "Another time, maybe…"


	8. Kidnapping

Chapter 8 – Kidnapping

Naruto had a job interview on Monday evening after his afternoon classes. He was so nervous as he sat in the bus. His first job at 21 years old, how lame was that? At least it was a really simple job; cashier at a grocery store. Kakashi knew the manager so as soon as Naruto had told him he wanted a job, Kakashi had gotten him an interview. The thing was, he wanted to go to Osaka, Japan, but it was too expensive. He didn't even know if the rest of his family still lived there, but it was worth a try.

His powers seemed to be quite intense. He had already experienced telepathy with Kakashi one day earlier. They had simply decided to try it, and Naruto had concentrated, and their minds had connected, just like that. It was almost too easy. So if he went to Osaka maybe he could reach out to connect his mind with his sister. He had no idea how he would do that, but he had to try something, anything.

He had the feeling that they were still in Japan. They knew that Kakashi knew, and that there was a chance he would tell Naruto at some point, so why would they move and make it impossible to find them? He'd rather hope for the best.

So Naruto's plan was to work and make enough money to be able to go Japan at the end of the semester. Kakashi also had some funds and he would help him. Everything would be just fine, if only he could get the job…

It turned out he had been worrying for absolutely nothing. The interview was extremely straight forward. Hi, hi, how are you? Good, you? Good, thank you. When can you start? Uh, now I guess…

Next thing he knew he was standing behind a cash register scanning items. There was a woman packing up the food in bags and at the same time she was checking him to make sure he didn't make any mistakes. All in all it was a very thrilling and exciting first job experience – not.

Still, he tried to keep up a smile, even when the customers were being a pain in the ass complaining about every possible thing.

At some point Hinata and Gaara walked up to his cash counter.

"Hey, Naruto, I didn't know you worked here!" Hinata exclaimed, all smiles.

"Yeah it's kinda recent," he replied as he scanned the items.

The woman packing up was glaring at him. Oh right, she had told him earlier not to have conversations with friends. Oh well, screw her, she wasn't his boss.

"You disappeared with Jey and Sai at the party Friday night," Gaara said, "what's up with that?"

"Nothing!" Naruto exclaimed defensively, "Hum... so it's 29.85$ please." He said, trying not to wonder why they had bought whip cream. Too late…

Gaara paid with his credit card. Naruto, being nervous because these were his friends, and still trying to figure out how the machine worked, made a mistake and the woman started yelling at him. Well not yelling, but talking very loudly – it was still very unpleasant. When the transaction was over Hinata and Gaara left, and Naruto was sulking. He didn't like being shouted at for no adequate reason like that…

Eventually he was granted with a fifteen minutes break, so he went outside, leaning on the wall of the building. He repressed the urge to smoke some weed – maybe not a good idea on his first day. He checked his cell and his eyes widened when he saw all the missed calls from Jeremy. Shit, they were supposed to practice…

He called him back.

"I waited for you for an hour and a half!"

"I'm so sorry, Jey, I got a job and I forgot…"

"You what? Why? I thought you didn't want to go to school and work at the same time?"

"Well I need the money so…"

"Why? You still live with your father, no? And by the way you're a total jerk! You could've at least texted me!"

"Sorry…"

"You know what? I think I'll quit the theatre class. I don't want to see you anymore. I'm over you now, I'll have you know. I like Damien now."

He face palmed, "Oh great… As if I don't have enough problems."

Oops, had he said that out loud?

But Jeremy misunderstood. "Ha! Be jealous all you want! Serves you right Naruto! You go back to your Asian anorexic freak. And when you come crying back to me, it'll be my turn to say no!"

"Sasuke's not anorexic."

Jeremy hung up. Naruto sighed and put the phone back in his pocket. And… he already had to go back to work. Great…

Apparently the boss had decided he was staying until the place closed at eleven. Naruto was extremely tired as he finally got out of the store and started walking back home. He shivered and put his black leather jacket on.

Suddenly an all too familiar dreamy car appeared beside him.

The window was lowered.

"Need a ride?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Just stalking you."

"You know, I only find it cute when I'm drunk."

"Just get in the car," he smiled, and stopped the car completely on the side of the road.

Naruto walked around the car and took place in the passenger's seat. Sasuke started driving again.

"How'd you know where I was?"

"Suigetsu told me."

"How the hell did Suigetsu know?"

"He's been stalking you," Sasuke admitted, glancing at him.

The blond shook his head in disbelief, "Why?"

"He does that. But don't worry he's not stalking us right now he's with your ex."

"Your ex and my ex, huh?"

"Yeah I don't think it's gonna last very long," Sasuke chuckled. "Suigetsu gets bored easily."

"He didn't get bored of you," Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke turned on the music. It was still the Children of bodom record in there. He lowered it enough so that they could still talk.

"It's different," he said, "we're not really… ex-boyfriends. We're… best friends, partners in crime, whatever you call it."

"I'm jealous," Naruto admitted, "I wish I had a relationship that intense with someone."

Sasuke turned to smile at him. A real smile this time and Naruto saw his fangs. It was… kinda sexy, actually.

"I'll turn you. We'll have an intense relationship all right. And imagine just how powerful you'd be."

"What the hell? No!" Naruto glanced away, "That's not how it's supposed to go. I'm supposed to date you for a while, and then ask you to turn me, and then you're supposed to say no because you don't want me to lose my soul or something."

"What kind of fucked up vampire movie have you been watching now?"

"Uh…"

"Look, we can talk about it another time if you want," Sasuke shrugged.

"Okay. We'll add it to the list."

"The list?" he raised a brow.

"Yeah. You have to tell me about your past."

Sasuke made something close to a pout. He was kind of cute when he did that.

"I don't want to…"

"And I don't want to become a vampire."

"What makes you say I'll give you a choice?"

"Uh, maybe the fact that I can kill you any time."

Sasuke snorted, "You wouldn't."

"Try me. By the way, where are we going?"

The raven smiled at him, and then looked back at the road, ignoring his question. Naruto frowned and realized Sasuke was going to take the high way.

"Sasuke I wanna go home."

"Too bad cause I'm kidnapping you."

"It's not funny! I'm tired."

"We'll stop at a hotel in the morning."

"I'm human. I sleep at night. Most of the time."

Sasuke glanced at him sideways, "You can sleep in the car."

"Yeah your car is super cool but it's not exactly the comfiest place to sleep."

"Are you gonna stop whining?"

Naruto glared, "Turn the car around and I'll stop!"

"I can't, I'm on the highway."

"You know, Kakashi will get worried, and he'll call the cops or something."

"No he won't," Sasuke made a little smile.

"What did you do?" Naruto panicked, "What the hell did you do?"

"Relax! God damn it Naruto I just compelled him!"

He did relax a little, but he frowned, "What did you tell him?"

"That you were safe, and that he shouldn't worry! That's it."

"Is that the truth?" Naruto asked in a softer voice.

"Yeah," he said. After a moment of silence he went on, "I just want to spend time with you. And with your crazy life I can't, so I'm kidnapping you."

"I would very much like to go back to my crazy life please."

"You can't go to school and study," Sasuke frowned, "and have a job, and play basket ball, and go to parties with your friends… you can't do all that it's insane."

"It's called being a 21 year old human."

"When will you have time for me then?"

"Who said I wanted you in my life?"

Sasuke's eyes darkened, "Well maybe I'm a selfish bastard and I don't care about what you want."

"I'll just teleport back home!" Naruto replied.

He closed his eyes and concentrated.

"No!" Sasuke exclaimed, and he truly sounded panicked. Naruto opened his eyes and looked at him. "It's dangerous! What if you end up in the street who knows where and get hit by a car?"

"Aw look at you worrying about me. Well if you don't want me to try it just drive me back home already!"

"No," Sasuke said stubbornly.

"I'll lose my job! I just got it!"

"Yeah what's up with that anyway?"

"I need the money. I want to go to Japan to find my family."

Sasuke glanced at him with an unreadable expression, and then back at the road. He turned off the music.

"Your family's in Japan?"

"They were before anyway," Naruto sighed, "in Osaka. I'm gonna start there."

"But… your mother, she…"

"She's dead. But her brother might still be alive. And also, my father and sister."

Sasuke nodded without looking at him. "I understand. Family… it's just so important. Even though you've never seen them you miss them, am I right?" Naruto just looked at him, intrigued. Sasuke went on, "In my case, even after so many… centuries, I still miss them. And if you don't have any family you try to find it in other ways."

"Well," Naruto said, "for now my family's Kakashi, and I would like to go back to him."

Sasuke locked eyes with him for a brief instant, and they were so dark and big and sad.

"Can I have just a few days?"

Naruto looked at him for a few seconds. His profile was so beautiful. He always looked sad. Even when he was smiling, he still looked sad deep down. Naruto couldn't refuse.

"Two days," he finally complied.

He was granted with a smile that hid almost all the sadness.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, Naruto thought. After all, he would only miss a few classes, and it was only the beginning of the semester. He had already told the people at his new work that he couldn't work on school nights – tonight had been an exception – because of basketball practice. And well, he would miss practice, but he was the best player in the team, they'd forgive him.

Without really realizing it he slowly drifted into sleep.

…

When he woke up he was in a hotel room – and he had no idea whatsoever where he was. At least there were two beds, and Sasuke was sleeping in the other one. The sheet went up to his chest, revealing that he was topless. Naruto himself was only wearing his boxers. He blushed madly. This meant that Sasuke had carried him inside and stripped him off his clothes? How embarrassing.

He had slept well though. He got up, yawned and stretched his body. He walked up to the window, but before lifting the shades he remembered an important detail. Sasuke was a vampire. Right…

Carefully he lifted the shade just a little to have a peek outside. He didn't recognize his surroundings at all. Actually all he could confirm was that they weren't in San Francisco, definitely not. This looked like some very small town.

Then he turned and looked at Sasuke. He smiled. The raven-haired vampire was simply breathtakingly beautiful. Naruto leaned closer, and reached out to caress his hair. It was so soft… Then Sasuke adorably leaned into his touch. Okay, so maybe he couldn't really complain about being kidnapped, now could he?

As he returned to the other side of the room he noticed for the first time his small black suitcase on the floor. It was his own suitcase, and as he opened it, he saw that it was his stuff. So Sasuke had packed his things for him? That was kinda… considerate, actually. He had probably done it just before compelling Kakashi. Man, he had really thought this over. Naruto glanced at Sasuke's sleeping form again and shook his head in disbelief.

He picked up toothbrush, deo and other essentials and went inside the bathroom to take a shower. When he was finished he put on the only spare clothes Sasuke had packed for him; skinny jeans and black tank top. Figures…

He smiled as he realized those were the clothes he had been wearing the first time they met – even though Naruto didn't remember it. He fumbled through the small suitcase, and found the military style belt. Wow… Maybe these clothes held some sentimental value in Sasuke's eyes. How cute.

Of course the stupid vampire bastard was still sleeping. Naruto checked his cell. It was 4 pm. He had a text message from Sai, "Where are you?" Naruto chose not to answer. He could miss class if he wanted to, it wasn't Sai's business. He sighed and decided to go outside. As he passed the hall of the small hotel he finally found out where he was, indeed some small town, in Nevada actually.

What the hell?

He went to take a walk outside, and to get some food, but he soon got bored. So he returned to the hotel room. Sasuke was still sleeping.

Naruto went to sit beside him on the bed, and he shook his shoulder. Even when Sasuke didn't wake up, Naruto kept his hand there. His skin was so soft… And it was cold too. Naruto's fingers were really warm in comparison. He wondered if he was ticklish. Could vampires be ticklish?

He trailed his fingers softly on his side. He lowered the sheet to his hip at the same time. Sasuke's body moved in what was similar to a shiver, and with his arm he pushed Naruto's hand away, but he was still sleeping. Naruto chuckled. He played with his hair instead. Then he got bored.

"Wake up!"

Still nothing. Naruto sighed. He simply looked at his face for a moment. His long black eyelashes, his delicate nose, his beautiful lips…

He leaned closer and kissed him. He had no idea what he was doing, but he just felt like it. He licked and bit at his bottom lip slightly. Now that got him to wake up. Dark grey eyes opened slowly and when he realized what was happening he wrapped his arms around Naruto and kissed back.

Naruto moaned and his body fell on top of Sasuke's. He hadn't been expecting that. But he decided to go with the flow…

"Hmm Naruto," Sasuke said when they finally pulled away, "I really, really hate being woken up. But the way you did it… I guess I don't mind."

"Good, because I'm bored."

"I know an activity that's far from boring if you know what I mean," Sasuke purred in his ear and then kissed his neck.

"No, stop!" Naruto said and pushed him back against the pillows.

He got up and inadvertently lowered the sheet some more.

He blushed, "Why are you naked?"

Sasuke lazily grabbed the sheet and covered himself up. He turned and curled up on his side, facing Naruto. "I always sleep naked," he said.

He closed his eyes.

"Oh no! No, no, no. You're staying awake. I'm bored. Come on make this kidnapping fun at least!"

"Is it sunny outside?" he asked, and Naruto nodded. "Well then I already suggested the only activity we could do and you said no," Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto sat on the edge of the bed. "We can… talk."

"About what?" the raven lifted himself up on his elbows.

"First put some clothes on."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but then he got up and started fumbling through his own bag lazily. Naruto glanced away. Sasuke was beyond hot. He was so lean and graceful; every movement was made of perfection. He got dressed right there in front of Naruto and then he fell back on the bed, folding his arm under his head and turning his head to look at him.

"Easier to resist me now?"

Naruto glanced away. He did have a point…

"Sasuke, tell me, other than Suigetsu, did you have a lot of boyfriends or girlfriends?"

"None, why?"

"Just curious… maybe I need to rephrase my question. How many, hum, sexual partners?"

Sasuke sat up and he stared at him, amused. "I don't know. I mean, you're honestly asking me that? I've lived for… for so long…"

"Right… I get the idea."

"Your turn, spill," Sasuke said, and he moved to place himself behind Naruto. He started massaging his shoulders and the back of his neck.

"That feels kinda good…" Naruto closed his eyes. "Well, I had one girlfriend when I was sixteen. Hinata. She was nice, and kind, and sweet…"

"And boring?"

Naruto chuckled, "No, of course not… Well, maybe a little… And then there was Jey. We lasted almost a year, but on and off…"

"Let me guess, too bitchy?"

"Oh God yes," Naruto laughed. He felt himself relax under Sasuke's touch.

"Lie down," Sasuke said.

He did as he was told and Sasuke climbed on top of him to continue massaging his back.

The blond moaned, "That feels really nice…"

"You know what would feel even better?" Sasuke whispered.

"What?"

Sasuke lifted the hem of his tank top and placed a kiss on his lower back. Naruto moaned again. Sasuke placed his hands at his hips and pulled the top all the way up to his shoulders. He massaged the exposed skin, placing a kiss here and there. It felt so good… Naruto was getting dangerously turned on though.

"Your skin is so warm," Sasuke whispered, "I like it."

"And yours is cold… I kinda like it too."

Sasuke leaned closer and chuckled in his ear, "How convenient."

Naruto shivered, but it wasn't because of any form of cold. Actually he was kinda getting hot.

"Turn around," Sasuke ordered.

Naruto obeyed. Sasuke lifted him up and brought him to a sitting embrace. He pulled away again only so that he could take off his shirt. Sasuke took his shirt off as well. He pressed their bodies closer and kissed Naruto's neck relentlessly.

The blond was in some sort of trance. He didn't like that they were going too fast and yet he couldn't possibly want this to stop. It felt so damn good…

Their lips met and the battle for dominance started. Their hands were all over each other and they kissed more and more aggressively with each passing second. At some point Sasuke pushed him against the mattress and grinded him harshly. Naruto moaned and wrapped his arms around him tightly, pulling him even closer. He bit Sasuke's bottom lip and the raven moaned, his breathing becoming hard.

"I like it rough," Sasuke licked his lip, which was bleeding slightly, "so you keep doing that…"

Naruto smiled before kissing him and biting him again.

"You'd make one little feisty vampire bitch," Sasuke chuckled.

At some point Sasuke bit Naruto's lip as well. It was painful, but only for the briefest instant because Sasuke licked it over and over again with his tongue and it was a good enough distraction from the pain. The vampire went into a craze though and he started kissing Naruto's neck a little bit too intensely.

When he felt sharp fangs brush against his neck Naruto flipped them over aggressively.

"Just what the hell were you gonna do huh?" he asked half-teasing, "Bad, bad vampire."

He grinned devilishly, "I like compliments. Keep them coming."

"You're crazy," Naruto whispered before kissing his lips and exploring his mouth with his tongue.

When they pulled away Sasuke flipped them over again and he lowered himself to unbutton Naruto's jeans. He got rid of the pants and boxers quickly enough and then he reached up to kiss Naruto again. At the same time he brought his hand to his growing erection. Naruto gasped and tilted his head back in the pillows.

"You're so hot Naruto," the raven whispered against his lips, "I want you so bad…"

"Same here," the blond breathed and flipped them around – again.

Sasuke looked a bit annoyed. "I like being on top."

"Me too," Naruto smirked and lowered himself to get rid of Sasuke's pants as well.

"Ah, now you want me naked."

"Yeah…"

Once they were both naked Naruto pressed his body close again and their erections rubbed against each other. Naruto moaned and kissed Sasuke needily, running a hand through the soft black hair and placing the other at his hip. It was his turn to be annoyed when Sasuke flipped their positions.

"I want to be inside you," Naruto insisted.

Sasuke chuckled, "Heh, that's not happening."

Naruto threw Sasuke on the floor and he followed, climbing on top of the raven and kissing him to shut him up. He spread Sasuke's legs by placing his own legs in between and he positioned himself…

"I don't think so…" Sasuke pushed him away.

Using his supernatural strength he escaped Naruto's grip and got up. Then he picked up the blond and threw him on the bed. This time he grabbed his wrists and pinned them above Naruto's head with one hand. Naruto couldn't free himself. Sasuke looked beyond excited and he was about to deflower him and Naruto got a little scared… It would indeed be his first time being bottom and he wasn't really looking forward to it.

"That's not fair!" Naruto struggled but it was no use.

"Heh, you don't want to be a vampire, so I guess I'll just stay the stronger one."

"Stronger physically, maybe!"

This had given Naruto an idea. He concentrated and suddenly Sasuke was lifted up in the air and he just flew back against the opposite wall by an invisible force. Naruto had used too much strength – or mind power, or whatever it was called – though and Sasuke groaned, hurt. He crawled down to the floor and glared at Naruto.

The latter quickly got up and ran to him. "I'm sorry…" he said.

He helped him up and kissed him softly, wrapping his arms around his thin body comfortingly. Sasuke held him back.

"Hmm it's okay… I did tell you I liked it rough."

"Heh, true," Naruto smiled.

He pushed him against the wall and continued kissing him. He just loved having Sasuke's body against his. And once more he tried to place himself…

And again Sasuke pushed him away.

"How long are we gonna play this game?" Naruto asked.

"Your dick is not getting nowhere near my ass."

"Well I've personally never had one up my ass and I don't fancy my first time being with a vampire psycho."

They were both breathing hard, and staring into each other's eyes as if this was some sort of contest.

Sasuke's lips curled into an amused smile, and he tilted his head to the side. "Then I guess we have an interesting problem."

* * *

><p>lol, hope you liked (sorry about ending it there i know you hate me)<p> 


	9. A lover's wish

Chapter 9 – A lover's wish

They entered a very stupid argument in which Sasuke insisted that it wouldn't hurt so badly, and Naruto insisted that yes, it would, and that Sasuke was just a fucking selfish bastard. Then Sasuke told him that indeed, he was a selfish bastard and that he would fuck his brains out regardless of what he wanted. Then Naruto used his powers to send him flying across the room and then he threatened to burn him.

They ended up sulking and nursing their painful bodies on their respective beds.

"I hate you," Naruto said at some point.

Sasuke glared at him. He tried to send all the murderous intent in the world into that glare. He had never been denied a good fuck before. And he was damn good in bed! Naruto would've enjoyed himself! What an idiot for rejecting him…

"Oh I'm scared," Naruto mocked him. Sasuke glanced away.

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

"I'd rather be an idiot than a fucking selfish bastard like you."

Naruto got up from the bed and picked up his scattered clothes. He put them on and sat down again. He rubbed his wrists and glared at Sasuke.

"You hurt me, I hope you know that."

Sasuke frowned and approached to take a look at Naruto's wrists. They were a little bruised, but he'd be fine. Still, he felt guilty. Not that he'd admit it… Instead he did the same as Naruto and got dressed. The sun was almost out; soon they could go back on the road. Despite of everything that had just happened, Sasuke still wanted to spend some time with Naruto. Deep down, he knew that he was selfish for trying to force Naruto to do something he wasn't ready for.

"You clearly implied that you'd fucked tons of people in your so, so long life. So I'm pretty sure you've had it up the ass quite your share of times. Would it have killed you to just let me top until I was ready?"

Sasuke averted his eyes. He'd had it up the ass often enough; every time he'd been raped… Apparently vampires could have block ups and mental problems just like humans, because in his mind, being fucked by a guy was directly associated to rape – as in, Varin, and more recently Orochimaru.

"Suigetsu wanted to so many times," he said slowly, "there was this one time, I finally said yes but… I didn't really enjoy it; it brought back too many bad memories."

When he looked back at Naruto he saw that his blue eyes were wide, and he looked sincerely surprised.

"Oh…"

"But it's different with you," Sasuke frowned, the words coming to him as he spoke, "with you I feel like I can finally move on. Maybe it's better if I don't tell you about my past after all. So I think I'll let you… Now, we go back on the road, but maybe later…"

Naruto frowned, "I'm not forcing you, Sasuke."

He nodded, "I know." He walked up to him and took his hand. "The sky is dark enough, let's go."

And so they went back on the road. Naruto was silent for a while and he simply went through Sasuke's records, changing the music occasionally. As they listened to Worlds collide by Apocalyptica, Naruto finally addressed him.

"You know, I'm not a complete idiot. It reminded you of bad memories. I know what that means. When did it happen? While you were still human? Cause I can understand how traumatizing that must be…"

"No."

"Well maybe I can't understand completely but…"

"I mean no, it didn't happen when I was human."

"Oh..."

He glanced at Naruto. The latter was frowning and looking out the window. Then he returned Sasuke's glance.

"Was it Orochimaru?"

"No! I mean yeah but… Ah fuck…" he sighed, and tried to concentrate on the road. Might as well shut up since he wasn't making any sense…

"Now I understand," Naruto said in a low voice, "what Suigetsu meant by, if he wasn't already dead I'd kill him all over again."

Sasuke let out a dry chuckle and decided to try to focus on the music. Maybe Naruto would drop it now.

"Was it… that other guy? The one you told me about?"

He closed his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them he sighed and swallowed hard. Great, keeping his past secret was a complete and utter failure. Maybe if he just answered his questions he'd be fine.

"Yeah."

"When… when he changed you, or…?"

Or not… He glared at Naruto and said, "Just leave it. Please."

"Fine… Sorry."

Naruto slept for pretty much the next few hours. Sasuke was driving extremely fast. He had the right car for it, after all. He got arrested once but he simply stopped at the side of the road. Then he lowered his window and compelled the police officer to let him go and not to arrest him again. Then he started driving at his crazy pace again. Gotta love that power…

Naruto woke up a couple hours before dawn. Sasuke turned to look at the blond's reactions. He slowed the car so that they could admire the trees on either sides of the road. The leaves were all golden and it was a beautiful sight. Sasuke wasn't sure if the moonlight was enough for Naruto to see properly with his human eyes.

"This is amazing," Naruto said. His voice was still a bit sleepy, and he rubbed his eyes, "Where are we?"

"Colorado..."

"Wow…" Naruto smiled. "Hey wait, just how fast did you drive?"

Sasuke smirked, "Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to."

"You're evil Mister kidnapper. And let me guess, this is gonna end up lasting way more than two days right?"

"Oh… I thought you meant two days once we arrived at our destination," Sasuke exclaimed. He was lying of course.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Bastard."

The raven shrugged, and when he glanced at Naruto he saw that he was smiling. Well, at least they were both in a better mood now.

"Are we gonna stop soon cause I really fucking need to stretch my legs…"

"Yeah," Sasuke reassured him.

Their destination was a hotel situated right in the heart of the mountains.

When Sasuke finally parked there Naruto was frowning.

"I don't think we can just arrive unannounced at a place like this during the night…"

"I made reservations," Sasuke explained, "I called them on Monday."

"You can't compel people over the phone, can you?"

"No. I stole Suigetsu's credit card," he said as he took out his wallet to show it to Naruto.

The latter shook his head in disbelief, "He's gonna hate you so much when he finds out…"

"Heh, I've done worst."

Naruto chuckled as he got out of the car. He groaned as he stretched his body for a few minutes. Sasuke got out of the car as well and simply watched him.

"You really had everything planned out, didn't you?"

"The time and place, yeah," Sasuke glanced away, "but, you and I, the beginning of our story together, well, that's for us to create."

The blond simply looked at him for a moment. He seemed thoughtful. Even with his eyes a bit reddish and his hair all messy he still looked ridiculously handsome. He walked around the car and stood right in front of Sasuke. He reached out to take his hands, and he leaned closer to kiss his lips softly.

"I really, really like you Sasuke," he whispered, "even if I hate you sometimes. Does that make sense?"

"It doesn't have to," the raven breathed and kissed him again.

They leaned against the car and simply made out for a few moments. It wasn't aggressive this time, it was tender and soft. Sasuke wasn't trying to dominate; he just wanted to feel Naruto, to hold him in his arms, and to taste his skin, his lips, his blood…

He pulled away at that thought, "I'm sorry about earlier, in the hotel room."

Naruto shook his head, "It's okay, we're both to blame I guess…"

"No, I meant, when I bit your lip and tasted your blood… and then I almost bit your neck…"

"Oh, that," Naruto chuckled, but he continued holding him close. "It's okay. We both know that with my powers I can defend myself all right."

"I still shouldn't have done it. But… you need to promise me something."

Blue eyes locked with dark grey, "What?"

"If you do decide to become a vampire, I'll be the one to do it."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Why? Cause you think that'd be romantic or something?"

"No. Cause your blood tastes pretty fucking great."

The blond laughed, "Ah, Sasuke, you're funny sometimes."

"Glad I amuse you."

"Yeah I promise," he said in a lower voice.

Sasuke pulled him close and they kissed again.

After that they returned to sit in the car to wait for a more reasonable hour to show up at the hotel – a more reasonable hour being the morning.

"Won't it be dangerous for you?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"The door's like ten feet away."

"The first time I met Suigetsu he only had about ten feet to walk to the coffee shop but he still had an umbrella to protect himself," Naruto pointed out.

"Suigetsu can be paranoid. He's been burned by the sun in the past so…"

"Really? How come?"

Sasuke looked out the window as the first faint lights of the day broke through the darkness. It wasn't uncomfortable yet.

"Let's see… I think it was in… 1810, something like that. We still lived in Japan. There was this vampire girl, she had taken a liking in Suigetsu and I and she kinda wanted to… join us. As in, get some threesome thing going on."

"Let me guess, you rejected her, and then she wanted revenge."

"Damn you're good," the raven teased.

"Kinda reminds me of Orochimaru and you."

"So Suigetsu told you the whole story… Yeah I guess you could say us vampires are pretty intense when it comes to holding up grudges."

"Do you want to get revenge on someone?" Naruto asked him.

"Just one person," Sasuke chuckled dryly.

"Why don't you go after him?"

"How to say this… He's… he's about one thousand and four hundred years old."

"Holy shit," Naruto whispered.

"Yeah… he's the strongest vampire I've ever met. He's so powerful that he can compel younger vampires. I don't know if he could still do it to me but… I'd rather not risk it."

He flinched as the sunlight started getting a little brighter. Naruto took off his jacket and offered it to Sasuke.

"Thanks," he said as he put Naruto's jacket against the window to block the light.

He rested his head against it and looked at the blond. There were slivers of sunlight passing through the sleeve of the jacket and illuminating his gorgeous tan skin and golden blond hair.

"You're beautiful," he said, "I wonder if becoming a vampire would change your skin tone, cause that would be a shame…"

"Doesn't it always make it paler?"

"No I've seen exceptions over the years," Sasuke answered thoughtfully, "and since you have magic blood I wonder what would happen."

"Stop thinking about that!" Naruto exclaimed, annoyed, "I'd have to give up my life!"

"Give up your life to gain infinite lifetime," Sasuke smirked.

"…I guess it does sound like a good deal when you say it like that."

After a moment of silence Naruto suggested that they should go inside. So they got out of the car and walked towards the front door, Sasuke protecting himself with Naruto's jacket.

They checked in at the hall and then made their way to their suite room. Sasuke couldn't help but smile as he leaned in the doorframe and watched Naruto bounce and run everywhere excitedly like some overly enthusiastic kid.

"This is awesome!"

Suddenly Naruto came back towards him, took his arm and pulled him in a hug.

"You know what? I should be mad at you for kidnapping me and all but I'm not. I've always wanted to just go on a road trip and do something crazy like this."

Sasuke returned the hug and rested his head against Naruto's shoulder. He felt so sleepy now. So when they pulled away he went to collapse on the bed.

"No way, no fucking way! Sasuke!" Naruto whined, "I'm not sleeping now!"

"Your fault for sleeping in the car."

"You weren't exactly good company!"

"Your fault for asking me questions about my past."

"Well how am I supposed to know, huh? You said you'd tell me!"

"No I didn't," Sasuke sat up and took off his shirt.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking off my clothes. Could you close all the curtains?"

"I'm not your fucking slave!"

Sasuke tilted his head as he looked up at Naruto. He had trouble keeping his eyes open.

"Please."

"No," Naruto said stubbornly.

"Fine…" he yawned and finished undressing himself. He crawled under the sheets and closed his eyes. "If the sunlight gets further in the room I'll be hurt and you'll feel guilty."

"Bastard."

He opened his eyes again to see Naruto going to the other side of the room and shutting off the curtains. When he walked back towards the bed Sasuke noticed there was a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Do you really have to sleep naked?"

"You have a problem with that?"

Naruto went to sit on the other bed, and he sent him a glare. "Yes."

"Why? Enlighten me."

"It's fucking distracting," the blond admitted, flustered.

Sasuke smirked, but then he closed his eyes and turned around, his back facing Naruto. "We can have sex later now I want to sleep."

"Fucking tease."

A little smile lingered on Sasuke's lips as he slowly drifted into sleep.

…

When Sasuke woke up in the evening he was pleasingly surprised to see that Naruto was sleeping right beside him, in the same bed. They weren't touching but they were close. Naruto was on his side, facing him. Sasuke reached with his hand to brush the soft blond locks.

"Hmm…" Naruto moaned in his sleep.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," Sasuke whispered and dropped a soft kiss on his lips.

"Hm... Sasuke?"

"The one and only. I'm gonna take a shower."

He got up and walked towards the bathroom.

"Then why the hell did you wake me up?" Naruto protested.

Sasuke turned around and smiled, "To see if you wanted to offer your company."

"Fuck you," Naruto growled and hid his head under a pillow.

"You will later," Sasuke replied teasingly.

After he was done in the shower he got dressed and went to kiss Naruto again.

"Wake up…"

"Stop doing that!" the blond groaned. "I've only been sleeping for an hour or two, you know?"

Suddenly Sasuke noticed a notebook on the bedside table. He picked it up and flipped through the pages. They weren't lined, but blank and some of them had drawings… of him.

He smiled, "This what you've been doing all day?"

"Give that back!" Naruto made a weak attempt at taking the notebook from him but Sasuke got up and continued looking at the drawings.

"You're talented," he said appreciatively.

"I've been studying and practicing for years," Naruto said.

Sasuke looked at him thoughtfully, "I'll have to draw you as well. It's only fair."

The blond yawned, "I'm sure you didn't drag me all the way here so that we could draw each other."

"True. Get dressed."

"You're doing it again. Ordering me around."

"I'm the evil kidnapper, remember?" Sasuke smirked.

Naruto, wearing only boxers, went to grab his things in his suitcase and made his way to the bathroom. Sasuke's eyes lingered on his body until the door was closed.

While Naruto was in the shower he looked through the drawings again. Naruto must have gone out and bought this notebook and a drawing pen somewhere, because Sasuke hadn't thought of packing anything like this. Hell, before now he didn't even know Naruto was so talented!

He picked up the pen and flipped to a blank page. Naruto had clearly been inspired by him, and in turn Sasuke was inspired by the blond. He started drawing. He decided to draw Naruto like he was the first time he had seen him – in a dark alley, with a confident smile on his lips and a dazed look in his eyes. He tried to portray his first impression of him as best as he could, someone special, someone with such a rich personality that even being wasted couldn't hide it. Sasuke smiled at his own silly thoughts.

Who was he kidding? He had only wanted his blood at first.

When Naruto was finished and fully dressed he came to look over his shoulder.

"Huh, funny, the first drawing I made of you was also the first time I saw you – well, from what I remember, anyway – when you came over to my place to pick me up."

Sasuke tilted his head back to meet Naruto's eyes, "You'll have to show me."

"I will. So… what now?"

"Come on," Sasuke put the notebook on the bed and got up. He put his arm around Naruto's shoulders and led him out of the room.

In the hallway Naruto shoved him away, "I'm not your bitch."

Sasuke chuckled.

As they passed the front desk they nodded and smiled – well, Naruto smiled – at the woman standing behind the counter. She blushed and nodded back. Being hot studs was such hard work.

They sat in the car and Sasuke started driving but this time it wasn't too long, only a few minutes. Naruto was looking in awe at the beautiful fading sunset and the mountains all around them. Sasuke smiled.

"Come on," he said.

As they got out of the car Sasuke led him towards one of the paths to start climbing. Naruto suddenly stopped and looked a bit freaked out.

"We're… hiking," he said in understanding.

Sasuke tilted his head, amused, "Yeah."

Naruto glared, "And you packed for me, of all things, freakin' skinny jeans."

"What's the problem?"

He face palmed, "You may think it's sexy, but it's not exactly comfortable Sasuke."

"I'm a vampire I don't think about those things."

Naruto sighed in despair, "And what about water? And food damn it."

"I'll feed you my blood," Sasuke said half teasing, even though he was the one starting to get a little hungry for blood.

"Very funny. All right whatever let's do this," he followed Sasuke anyway.

"You sure?"

"Yeah I got some food while you were sleeping. I'll be fine."

They started walking up the path and Sasuke was enjoying the fresh air on his skin and in his hair. When the colorful forests surrounding them got thicker and the last rays of light faded he felt even more in his element. His eyes adapted to darkness just fine. For Naruto it wasn't quite the same thing. At some point he tripped on a branch and stopped, and Sasuke turned to look at him. He was shivering slightly and he was looking around with wide blue eyes in the dark.

Sasuke reached out and took his hand to bring him close.

"Don't be scared, I'll guide you."

"I can't see a fucking thing Sasuke," he whined.

"Trust me, stay close to me and you'll be fine."

"I hate you so much…"

Sasuke smiled as they started walking again. They were going at a rather fast pace and Naruto didn't have any problem keeping up since he was in such good shape. The problem was that he was indeed helpless in the dark and he kept tripping. But Sasuke was holding his arm and whenever he was about to fall, he held him up with such powerful strength that at some point Naruto stopped being scared. He trusted him fully and this made Sasuke feel kinda good and warm inside.

After a few hours Naruto wanted to take a break, so Sasuke found a flat spot with enough place to sit comfortably. Apparently the blond suddenly decided it would be a good idea to use his powers to make a big roaring fire appear out of nowhere and Sasuke crawled away, freaked out. Naruto looked at him and laughed.

"You should've seen your face!"

"Couldn't you warn me before doing such a thing?" Sasuke said indignantly.

He stayed safely away from the fire while Naruto sat next to it, clearly craving its warmth.

"Why did you bring me here, Sasuke?" he asked softly after a moment of silence.

Sasuke leaned back against a tree and sighed, looking at the beautiful sight of the mountains through the trees.

"I told you, so that we could spend time together."

"Why here in particular? Just curious."

"I like it," Sasuke shrugged, "it's… a nice get away? Is that how humans say it?"

Naruto chuckled as he picked up some branches nearby to put in his fire, "Humans and vampires aren't so different, are they?"

"I guess not," Sasuke admitted, "of course there's blood, but other than that…"

The blond turned to look at him, "The biggest difference would be perspective, no? You must see life differently when you're immortal."

"To some extent," the vampire said thoughtfully, "but we're so intent on killing each other that we're aware of time, and that we shouldn't waste it. That's how I see things, anyway."

Naruto nodded, and then he turned back to look into the fire. He let out a heavy sigh.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"I guess we won't be back for the weekend. I'll lose my job for sure…"

"Who cares? You hated it anyway, right? When you walked out of that store you looked like you were ready to consider killing yourself. Seriously, I kinda had perfect timing taking you away from it all."

Naruto frowned, "I needed that job for money, I told you, to find my family. You said you understood."

Sasuke moved closer to him despite the heat. He hugged him from behind. "Let me come with you," he whispered in his ear, "I'll pay for everything. I'll make sure you find them."

Naruto hesitated, and then said, "You know, I thought I should do this by myself. But… I actually feel like letting you come with me."

"Good," Sasuke kissed his neck.

"Stop kissing me there I always feel like you're gonna bite me."

The raven laughed lightly and teasingly let his fangs brush against Naruto's skin. The latter pushed him away roughly, but it only made Sasuke laugh even more.

"Don't do that!" Naruto exclaimed, "You know what? I bet my sister is a really bad ass anti-vampire witch and when she sees you and finds out about us she'll kill you without mercy."

Sasuke's smile was unfazed as he said, "And what's there to find out about us exactly?"

A smile appeared on Naruto's lips as well and instead of replying he came to climb on top of Sasuke and kiss him. The latter stayed still and let Naruto dominate the kiss. The only movement he made was to wrap his arms around Naruto's thin, warm body.

"What's with you?" Naruto whispered against his lips, "You're so submissive all of a sudden."

"Maybe I'm tired of being a selfish bastard."

Naruto made a little smile and slowly pulled him up in a sitting embrace. He held him so tightly, as he kissed him passionately, their lips and tongues entering an endless dance. When they pulled away it was only so that they could get rid of their tops. Sasuke pressed his cold body against Naruto's warm skin and ran his fingers through messy golden locks. He felt Naruto's lips trail kisses on his neck and he tilted his head back, parting his lips and letting out moans of desire and lust.

He was like a completely different person altogether. He didn't regret his decision of giving himself to Naruto in the slightest. He embraced it, and he wanted to go all the way.

He worked his way to Naruto's jeans with his hands and undid the button and zipper. He slid one hand inside.

"You're so hard for me," he whispered.

Naruto went into a craze at hearing those words and he entangled his fingers in Sasuke's hair. He kissed him passionately and pushed him back on the ground. This improvised blanket of dry leaves wasn't the most comfortable but Sasuke couldn't care less. He lifted his hips as Naruto got rid of the unwanted pieces of clothing. He watched as Naruto quickly stripped off his own jeans as well. They pressed their bodies so, so close and kissed; they couldn't stop, they couldn't get enough.

"Naruto," Sasuke whispered.

"Yeah?" he breathed as he kissed his cheek, his jaw, his neck. He was kissing him everywhere, and Sasuke wouldn't have it any other way.

"Make love to me."

He didn't want Naruto to just fuck him like he was some guy. He wanted the real thing, and he knew that Naruto understood when he pulled away to lock eyes with him.

He saw all the affection and tenderness of the world in those beautiful blue eyes and he wondered, was it even possible? Maybe it was his imagination playing tricks; after all they had known each other for barely a few weeks.

But Naruto nodded and smiled and caressed his hair tenderly. He kissed his forehead and then his nose and his lips. Sasuke spread his legs for him and his heartbeat fastened. Actually he noticed at this point, Naruto's heart was beating incredibly fast as well. They locked eyes again and the moment was simply so intense, so perfect. And Naruto slid inside of him at once.

Sasuke arched his back and moaned in pain and pleasure. It was a mix of both at first but then, when Naruto started moving inside of him the pain just disappeared. There was only pleasure. Part of this was because he was a vampire and therefore less fragile but it wasn't just that. It was because it was Naruto, because there was something special between them and they couldn't deny it. Sasuke simply couldn't feel anything else than pleasure. The moment was too beautiful.

The light of the fire was dancing in his hair making it appear not only gold, but red and yellow. His blue eyes were so bright and clear in contrast. Sasuke couldn't stop looking into them. He could drown in those eyes. He moaned as Naruto increased his pace. The blond leaned closer and kissed his neck tenderly. Sasuke's breathing became hard and he ran his fingers through Naruto's hair and lifted his head to meet his lips. They kissed passionately as Naruto continued thrusting inside of him.

The blond suddenly pulled him up so that Sasuke was sitting with his legs around Naruto. The latter held his hips and brought him up and down with surprising strength. Sasuke felt so damn good, with every thrust he was thrown over the edge of ecstasy. He abandoned himself completely into Naruto's arms. He was barely aware of it when Naruto put him on the ground again. For the first time in his long life he felt completely safe in a lover's arms.

Next thing he knew Naruto was going even faster and harder than before and they were locking eyes, and at last screaming each other's names as they reached climax at the same time.

Naruto let himself fall on top of Sasuke. He rested his head in the crook of his neck and Sasuke brought a hand to caress his hair. There was no need for words.

_I think I might be falling for you._

Sasuke's eyes widened. That was Naruto's voice. He could use telepathy now? Were there no ends to his powers?

The blond pulled away and smiled. He put his hands on either side of Sasuke to hold himself up.

_You said no need for words. I figured thoughts were okay._

"I didn't say that out loud," he whispered, his eyes still wide as he looked at Naruto in wonder, "so not only can you talk to me by thought, but you can also read mine?"

"If I concentrate, yeah," Naruto whispered and leaned in for a soft, tender kiss.

"Hey since you're so powerful, do you think you could make the sun disappear tomorrow?"

"I can try."

"Naruto I was kidding."

The blond laughed and pressed himself closer again, closing his eyes, "Hmm… I'm usually so hot after sex and I don't want to cuddle but with you… your skin is refreshing so it's fine. I could fall asleep like this."

"You're not the one lying down on the rocks and leaves."

Naruto chuckled and pulled away, "Sorry."

They started putting their clothes on lazily. Then Sasuke leaned against a tree and pulled Naruto in his arms. The blond leaned against him with a contented sigh. Sasuke felt so good, and he didn't want the moment to end. Good thing there were still a couple hours left before dawn. He intended to make the most of them.


	10. The most beautiful sight

Chapter 10 – The most beautiful sight

In the early hours of morning, they had reached the top of the mountain – once in a while it had gotten difficult for Naruto to keep a fast pace so he had swallowed his pride and climbed on Sasuke's back. He'd had no choice; he didn't want to risk teleporting and ending up falling off some cliff.

There wasn't much light even if dawn was close. It was raining and the day promised to be grayish and cold. Naruto felt stupid for not bringing his jacket – even though it would've been annoying hiking with it in his hand. They sat on the rocky ground and admired the beautiful view together. At some point Sasuke leaned closer and rested his head on Naruto's shoulder. This made the blond smile.

There were so many different aspects about Sasuke and he wanted to discover them all. Sometimes he'd be such a jerk, and other times Naruto would concentrate and read his thoughts, only to find out he was thinking the silliest romantic things. Like for example, how Naruto's profile was even more beautiful than the view. It was so cliché and it had made him laugh.

At some point the rain stopped and there was enough light so that at least Naruto could admire the view properly. It was truly beautiful, what with the trees in the mountains being all red and gold. But Sasuke was tensing beside him, and he was squeezing his eyes shot and pressing himself even closer to Naruto as if he wanted to disappear to hide from the light.

"Idiot," Naruto said worriedly, "why did you want to come all the way up here if you can't handle the light?"

"I wanted you to at least admire the view," Sasuke whispered in a sleepy voice, "if the sun comes out I'll just return in the forest. It'll be fine."

Naruto frowned as he looked at the sky. Something had been nagging at the back of his mind since Sasuke had teased him by saying that he should hide the sun. Something from his mother's letter. _Our powers include element wielding, particularly fire and wind._

Wind. Could he truly be able to do such a thing? Time to find out. Especially now that the sun really looked like it was about to come out. But first, he wanted to help Sasuke because it looked like he was just going to sit there forever without moving.

He picked up the sleepy vampire in his arms and walked towards the nearest trees.

"Idiot," he repeated.

"What're you doing..." Sasuke simply moaned and nuzzled his neck, making their black and blond hair entangle. Naruto wondered why he was so weak all of a sudden. It couldn't be just because of the light.

In any case, he wanted to try this. After laying Sasuke down in the shadows of the trees he looked up at the sky. How to do this?

Well, like he did everything else… by relaying on his instincts. He concentrated, channeling all of his powers at once. He closed his eyes and frowned. He felt the wind picking up. He smiled; holy shit, this was actually working! The wind got even more intense and when he opened his eyes he saw that dark grey clouds had gathered in the sky, hiding the sun completely. It looked like there was gonna be a storm any time. Naruto looked around him. The wind was blowing strongly, making the leaves fall down the trees and dance in the air. He felt weak suddenly. Figures, after using this much power…

He fell on the ground next to Sasuke.

"Did you do this?" the raven asked.

"Uh huh," Naruto smirked, turning his head to look at him.

"Bad ass," Sasuke whispered, smiling. "Honestly, I'm starting to develop a major inferiority complex around you."

Naruto just laughed.

After a moment Sasuke lifted himself up on his elbows and frowned slightly, "Now we're both feeling weak though."

"Yeah why are _you_ so weak anyway?"

"I'm… a bit thirsty," Sasuke said sheepishly, glancing away.

"Yeah me too," Naruto sighed, "not the same kind of thirst of course."

"If you could just… give me a little… I'd be back on my feet in no time and I'd bring us back to the car…"

"No!" Naruto interrupted him, "You'll lose control and you'll drink all of my blood!"

"You don't even know what you're talking about," Sasuke's lips formed something close to a pout – that expression which Naruto found so cute. "Stop having stereotypes."

"I have a better idea. We'll wait for my powers to return," Naruto said, "and I'll bring us back to the car."

"Are you sure that's gonna work?"

"Yeah, I trust my powers more than ever now."

Sasuke reached out and caressed Naruto's hair with his hand, and then he trailed his fingers along his neck teasingly.

"I'll still be thirsty…"

Naruto grabbed his hand, "No means no, Sasuke."

"Fine," he whispered, folding his arm under his head, "maybe I'll drink that woman's blood… the one working at the hotel."

The blond let out a heavy sigh, "Fine, I'll let you have some of my blood I guess."

Sasuke flashed a grin, revealing his fangs.

"You know," Naruto said half-teasing, "you're lucky you're so pretty."

It started raining again, much more intensely than before. Soon they heard thunder and Naruto freaked out.

"Maybe I overdid it."

"No," Sasuke shook his head, "you just made the storm arrive sooner."

There was lightning and they heard thunder again, and Naruto bit his lip. He reached out to connect with Sasuke's mind. _Thunderstorms kinda scare me. _

The raven chuckled, "You thought if you didn't say it out loud it would make it less embarrassing or something?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Come here," Sasuke wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close.

They stayed like this for a few moments. Naruto felt safe in the other's arms and even though they were getting completely soaked, strangely he didn't mind. This was nice, all of it. It was spontaneous, adventurous, exciting. Naruto found himself thinking, he didn't want it to end.

"Thanks for kidnapping me," he said.

Sasuke chuckled, "You're welcome."

They stayed like this for a little longer, holding each other tightly under the trees. When Naruto's powers were replenished enough he closed his eyes and concentrated, visualizing Sasuke's car.

When he opened his eyes again, they were… on top of the car. And as they suddenly pulled away from each other the raven fell to the ground.

"Fuck Naruto! How many times do I have to tell you? You gotta warn me before doing this!"

The blond jumped down and scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry…"

Sasuke bit his lip. "...How could I stay mad at you?" He stepped closer and took Naruto's hands. "After all, you did make the sun disappear just for me."

"That was nothing," he replied on an overly modest tone.

"Right," Sasuke rolled his eyes. Then he leaned even closer and trailed his fingers up his arms. He entangled his fingers in his hair and parted his lips, "You know what's my special power?"

He leaned towards Naruto's neck, but the latter pushed him away.

"Not right now!"

"Why not?" he said, clearly disappointed.

"Well…" Naruto waved his arms around, "not out here in the open!"

"In case you haven't noticed there is a freakin' storm going on Naruto, there's no one out here but us."

"Which reminds me," the blond frowned as he shivered from the cold, "why aren't we in the car yet?"

"But our clothes are all dirty and muddy, it'll be troublesome to clean up the seats…"

"Sasuke," Naruto whined, "I'm cold."

The raven frowned, "Can't you bring us back to the hotel room?"

"Well yeah but… we'll leave your car here?"

"In the worst case," Sasuke shrugged, "I'll just steal another one."

Naruto's eyes widened, "This car is stolen?"

"I didn't say that," Sasuke replied quickly – a little bit too quickly.

"God damn it…"

"Can we talk about this another time?" Sasuke suggested.

Naruto sighed. Why did he have the feeling that they had a lot to talk about?

But he nodded anyway. He reached out and took Sasuke's hands, and then he concentrated, picturing their hotel room in his mind. And the next instant, they were there.

"Seriously Naruto," Sasuke said after opening his eyes, "this power of yours is amazing."

"All of my powers are amazing," Naruto smiled.

"I'm not too fond of the fire one."

He laughed, but then he suddenly felt very weak. The laughter died in his throat and he held onto Sasuke for support.

"What's going on?" the raven asked worriedly.

"Amazing, maybe, but also," Naruto swallowed hard, "kinda tiring."

Sasuke helped him out of his drenched clothes, leaving him only in his boxers, and then he helped him to lie down on the bed. He kissed his lips softly and when he pulled away he whispered, "Stay here and rest I'll be right back…"

Too tired to even think of protesting or asking questions Naruto simply nodded slightly and closed his eyes.

…

He woke up at the sound of Sasuke walking back in the room. In his hands were a bottle of water and a small bag of food from the hotel's restaurant. Naruto smiled as he sat up and placed the pillows against the wall to lean on it comfortably.

"Aw Sasuke that is so sweet. You're my saviour."

"Yeah well you're the only human in the world I care about so do feel privileged," the raven chuckled as he came to sit beside him on the bed.

Naruto laughed as he took the bottle of water and drank a few gulps. He noticed Sasuke had changed into a clean set of clothes – all black, no surprise there – and he looked great as always. He looked up into his big dark eyes and somehow saw that despite his nonchalant attitude he was truly concerned.

"I care about you too," Naruto said.

Sasuke's lips curled into a hint of a smile but he didn't reply. Instead he presented him what he had brought from the restaurant; fruits, crescent rolls and some cheese.

"This looks great thank you," Naruto's smile widened as he started eating.

Sasuke watched him for a moment then he got up and just… started stripping.

"The hell are you doing?" The blond chuckled.

"Getting comfortable," the vampire replied with a shrug.

He then proceeded to crawl under the sheets next to Naruto as he continued watching him eat.

At some point Naruto said, "Why do you always have to get naked? It's really distracting, you know?"

"It's comfier to sleep," Sasuke insisted, making him laugh.

After a moment of silence Naruto got annoyed of eating while being stared at. He figured he might as well get Sasuke to talk.

"Tell me a story about your past. It doesn't have to be about the parts you don't like," he quickly added. "I'd rather it not be about your sex life with Suigetsu either. Just… tell me something. Like, a story."

Sasuke folded his arm under his head and hesitated for a moment. Then he spoke, "I did tell you I was an actor before, right?"

"Yeah I remember," Naruto smiled, "at the date with Temari and Shikamaru."

"Oh, those were their names?"

"They're my friends! God you're so insensitive sometimes."

"Do you wanna know the story or not?"

"Yeah."

"Well in 18th century Japan theatre was really popular, except women were forbidden to act. So guys had to play the female parts as well."

"Don't tell me, you…?"

"No!" Sasuke exclaimed defensively, "Well, it happened once, but…"

"Really?" Naruto laughed, "Tell me!"

"Suigetsu did the female parts most of the time, since he's shorter than me. But one night he didn't show up cause… I don't know he just didn't feel like it so I had to take his part. I was the only other guy in our little group who knew the part."

"What was the play about?" Naruto asked, smiling.

"Impossible love," Sasuke replied, "isn't it always?"

"Hmm… so what was the story you wanted to tell me about anyway?"

"Oh… I just wanted to tell you about Suigetsu dressing up as a girl, cause I think that's funny."

Naruto raised a brow, "I think _you_ dressing up as a girl is even funnier."

"Too bad you're never gonna see such a thing."

"Never's a pretty big word," Naruto teased.

"Oh shut up…"

"So tell me," the blond said after a pause, "why did you like acting so much?"

Sasuke turned on his back and it looked like he was staring at the ceiling, but Naruto knew better. The vampire was looking into distant memories.

"Suigetsu dragged me into it actually. It was his thing as a human and he just kept doing it as a vampire. He kept telling me I should try it too, so I guess at some point I just… I was curious. I ended up liking it cause… I don't know. You can be a different person. You can forget about your life, and your problems. You're just up there on the stage performing. It's hard to explain."

"You don't have to," Naruto said softly, and Sasuke turned to look at him, "I know exactly what you mean."

"Ah, that's right you have theatre class."

"Which I missed yesterday," Naruto sighed.

"Oh come on," Sasuke said teasingly, "nowadays, if you're as hot as _you_ are, you don't need to be a good actor even if your goal is to win an Oscar. And you sure as hell don't need to take classes."

"Very funny."

Sasuke sat up slowly, "Now that you're done eating, can I have _my_ breakfast?"

Smiling, the raven leaned towards him. He wrapped one arm around Naruto's thin waist and pulled him close. He caressed his hair with his free hand and kissed his neck. Naruto closed his eyes and relaxed into his touch, trying not to think about the fact that Sasuke was about to suck out his blood.

Sasuke bit into his skin so slowly and carefully that it barely hurt. It was a strange feeling. With Sasuke's lips pressed around the wound and sucking… all in all it was kind of sensual. Naruto slid his hand on Sasuke's back and caressed his pale and cold skin. He had no idea as to how long the vampire drank. He lost all notion of time.

When Sasuke did stop he licked his neck one last time and pulled away. Naruto decided to mess with him a little, and he just let his head and body fall back limply. He did feel a bit dizzy but it wasn't that bad, he just wanted to see Sasuke's reaction.

"Naruto?" Sasuke whispered as he lay him down on the bed. "Fuck…"

Reaching out to read Sasuke's thoughts he had to repress a smile. Sasuke was panicking a little. _Shit, did I take too much? But, I was sure it was just fine… he should be fine, damn it…_

He opened sleepy blue eyes and chuckled, "You so fell for it."

The expression of concern in Sasuke's eyes changed to one of annoyance.

"That wasn't funny."

Naruto burst out laughing, which only pissed the other off even more. He got up and walked away from the bed, and towards the bathroom. Naruto decided to follow him, except maybe it wasn't a good idea to get up so fast when he felt dizzy. Everything became black for a moment and he felt a bit nauseous. He would've fallen down but Sasuke quickly appeared by his side, holding him.

"What are you doing you idiot?"

"Joining you," Naruto said when he had regained his senses. "You were gonna take a shower, right?"

"Who said I wanted company?"

"I know you do," Naruto smiled.

"You should rest."

"I'll rest after the shower," he said stubbornly.

"All right but I can't promise I'll keep my hands off you."

"Fine by me."

Sasuke went directly to step under the water, while Naruto was looking at himself in the mirror. He examined his neck; that wound would be hard to hide…

"I'm so stupid," Sasuke said suddenly.

It was so unlike him to say such a thing that Naruto's eyes went wide as he turned to look at him. Sasuke ignored his shock and stepped out of the shower again. The sight of his hot body all wet and glistening like that made Naruto's blood boil in his veins.

But then he frowned as Sasuke reached for his neck. What the hell? Did he want to drink again?

"What're you…?"

To his surprise Sasuke simply kissed his neck. Well, not quite… there was a wet liquid escaping Sauke's lips and coming in contact with Naruto's wound. Then the blond felt a tingling sensation on his skin. Finally, Sasuke proceeded to lick his neck thoroughly.

"There," he pulled away, "all better."

Naruto looked in the mirror and brought his hand to his neck. It was all healed.

"Holy shit… that's pretty awesome. How'd you do that?"

"With my blood," Sasuke said as if it were very obvious, "come on now are you gonna join me or not?"

He took Naruto's arm and pulled him in the shower. The blond picked up the small shampoo bottle but Sasuke stopped him, and kissed him passionately.

Naruto smiled through the kiss. His smile disappeared quickly though when Sasuke put him directly under the running water – which was kind of cold.

Reaching to change the temperature he shivered, "It's way too cold…"

"Now it's too hot," Sasuke said as soon as Naruto had changed it.

They looked at each other and Naruto burst out laughing, "I think we might have a problem." He reached to change the temperature again and when Sasuke asked what he was doing, he answered, "Compromising."

When the water was warm, not too hot, not too cold, they resumed their making out session. Their slippery hands were all over each other and it was getting really intense, really fast. At some point Sasuke pushed him against the wall and started kissing him everywhere. He lingered at each of his nipples, licking and biting and playing with them. Naruto was moaning and running his fingers through Sasuke's wet black locks. He pulled him up for another heated kiss.

They were both hard and Sasuke moaned through the kiss as their erections came in contact. Or was it Naruto? Probably both.

"I want you Naruto," he whispered in his ear, "are you ready now?"

"No…"

So maybe Sasuke had been a good actor in the past, but in that moment he did a very bad job of hiding his disappointment. He pulled away and started lathering his body with soap. Naruto watched him for a moment, feeling torn. He had always thought he would be the dominant one in every one of his relationships. He really liked being on top, and he didn't want it any other way. He wanted to please Sasuke though… so maybe he'd try, just… not now…

As the vampire was rinsing his body, eyes closed and head tilted back, Naruto slowly hugged him from behind and kissed his shoulder.

"You know," he whispered as huskily as he could, "we can…" he slid his hand all the way down to Sasuke's erection, "do other things…"

"True," Sasuke made a little smile as he turned his head to meet his lips.

Using soapy water as lubricant Naruto stroked Sasuke with his hand skillfully. He played with the tip with his thumb and then continued rubbing him, squeezing just tightly enough with his hand. Sasuke leaned back against him and moaned in dazed contentment.

At some point he turned around so that he could crush Naruto against the wall and kiss him passionately. At the same time he started stroking him as well to return the favour.

This heated session in the shower lasted quite a long time. They were exploring each other's body thoroughly with their hands, lips, tongues… When they reached climax they still weren't satisfied. They cleaned each other while taking breaks to resume kissing lavishly.

"I can't get enough of you," Sasuke whispered against Naruto's neck. "Your skin, your taste, your blood…"

The blond cupped his chin with his hand and lifted his beautiful face up so that they could look into each other's eyes.

"Sasuke I'll let you drink from me again. To tell you the truth I kinda…" he blushed slightly, "enjoyed it. But not today, you've taken enough already. I'm only human you know."

"Yeah I know," the raven nodded, "but I'm glad you decided to let me drink again, cause hell I enjoyed it too!"

Naruto chuckled and pushed him under the water. He joined him so that they rinse off the remaining soap and shampoo. Naruto was feeling increasingly tired though so he stepped out and dried himself up quickly. After that he went directly on the bed, while Sasuke finished showering.

He joined him soon enough though, and Naruto smiled when he felt the other's presence behind him. The sky was still grey outside and the curtains were all shut. The room was dark and Naruto actually felt like sleeping all day with Sasuke. Great, now he would develop vampire habits as well.

Sasuke put his arm around him and pressed his body closer, spooning him. He placed a soft kiss at the nape of his neck, nuzzling his hair a little. Naruto's smile widened slightly and he placed his arm on top of Sasuke's, caressing it softly.

"Sweet dreams," Sasuke whispered in his ear.


	11. Dance with the devil

_Hey… it's been forever. I've been back on this website for like a month now and I've been working on continuing this story, so now I think I'm ready. I apologize profusely for the wait, and if you guys are willing to continue reading well I'll be updating the rest of the story._

_Here's a summary, for those of you faithful readers (if you're out there, thank you) who read the ten first chapters a while back, and don't really remember, but don't want to re-read the whole thing (perfectly understandable)... So here. _

_Chapter 1 - 10: At first, Sasuke is hunting for blood, and he meets Naruto, who ends up kissing him instead of falling into his trap. Naruto triggers something in the vampire's memory. In his past, he knew a witch named Kushina, who of course is Naruto's ancestor. So Sasuke takes an immediate interest in Naruto, and they start dating. It isn't long before Naruto finds out both that vampires exist, and that he actually is a warlock himself, supposedly their fated enemy. Despite knowing this, he helps Suigetsu in saving Sasuke's life when he is in danger. They end up talking, and this brings them closer despite their great differences. Naruto takes the whole thing surprisingly well. All in all, he also learned that he might still have some family back in Japan so he wants nothing more than to save some money to plan a trip there. While on a little spontaneous, improvised trip (more like kidnapping) with Sasuke, well Naruto informs him of this and the vampire claims he will help him. They share some great moments on this little road trip together, but now it's time to go back..._

**11. Dance with the devil**

Sasuke woke up with Naruto in his arms. The blonde's skin was so smooth and warm and he smelled nice. Sasuke smiled and kissed his hair. Soon sleepy blue eyes opened and his smile was returned. Hmm… he could get used to this.

"Hey," Naruto whispered.

"Hey," Sasuke said back, "did you sleep well?"

"Yeah… I made some fucked up dreams though," Naruto frowned as he remembered, "like, you were in my theatre class… and you had to play the role of the girl, and I was playing the guy…"

"Shut up!" Sasuke exclaimed, "You're kidding, right? You didn't really dream of that?"

Naruto laughed, "Yeah I did, I swear. What did you dream about?"

Sasuke turned on his back and closed his eyes for a moment. Most of his dreams he couldn't remember, but there was this one thing he did recall. It was about Varin. He was back in his life and he wanted revenge. Naruto was trying to protect him, but he ended up getting killed because he was powerless against him.

"I don't remember anything," he lied.

"Sasuke," Naruto said, his voice very soft.

"What?" He sat up and looked at him.

Then he remembered, and his dark grey eyes widened; Naruto could hear his thoughts if he wanted to. And it seemed at that moment, he had chosen to do so. Naruto gave a slight nod, confirming his doubts.

"Stop it," Sasuke said as he got up. He put his clothes on and picked up his car keys. "Let's just go."

"Are you planning on leaving without paying?" Naruto asked as he got up slowly.

"Yeah," Sasuke said casually. What was the big deal?

"The big deal is, Suigetsu's gonna be in trouble. You used his credit card, right?"

"I told you to stop that! And why do you care about Suigetsu?"

"Well, we're friends, even if I just met him. When my powers were exhausted during our fight against Orochimaru he protected me. Look, I just don't want him to be in trouble because of us."

"Fine I'll go pay. Just be ready when I come back."

Naruto nodded, and Sasuke left the room. This telepathy thing was rather annoying. He'd really have to get Naruto to stop; thoughts were private, damn it.

When he was done paying at the counter and performing this little human act he returned to their room to pack his things. It turned out Naruto was already done with his stuff and he was waiting for him. So without a word Sasuke gathered his things as well.

"I'm sorry about reading your mind," Naruto said, "it's just… I'd like you to be honest with me."

"It's just a dream Naruto who cares…"

The blond got up and took Sasuke's hand, squeezing it gently, "I do," he said sincerely, "I want to know about your insecurities. If we're gonna be together we've got to be honest…"

Sasuke interrupted him, "What do you mean?"

"What?"

"What do you mean be together?"

Naruto locked eyes with him, "I think we can make it work."

"Like… like humans do all the time? A couple or something?"

"Yeah…"

The raven felt something strange, a foreign emotion really, it was like his whole body was heating up and he was trembling. He felt nervous, excited and eager at the same time. He realized he wanted this so bad that it hurt; he wanted Naruto. Perhaps this feeling was something close to love. He really hoped the blond wasn't reading his thoughts at the moment because it would be embarrassing.

But then Naruto scratched his hair, glanced away and made a nervous chuckle, "Sorry…"

"Naruto what the hell? Stop it!"

"Sorry," he said again.

"Look," Sasuke sighed, annoyed, "make your powers useful instead of mind raping me and get us to the car."

"We could just walk," Naruto offered.

"Fine…"

"You know, you could be nicer to me," Naruto said half-teasing, "after all I could just teleport myself back home, and you'd be alone for the long drive."

"I don't mind driving," Sasuke said coldly. He picked up his bag and walked out of the room, Naruto following right behind.

"So you want me to go and leave you alone?" Naruto replied.

"I don't care."

"Liar. I don't even have to read your thoughts to know it."

As they walked outside in the cold evening air Naruto put on his jacket. He kept sending glances at Sasuke.

"What is it?"

"Why are you so upset? Is it just because I read your thoughts earlier? Cause I already said I was sorry."

"Didn't stop you from doing it again."

"Look I know there's something you're not telling me."

Sasuke stayed silent. Naruto was right of course, but he didn't really know how to put it into words. The rest of the walk was quiet, and so was the beginning of the drive. Naruto put on the album Too bad you're beautiful, by From autumn to ashes. Without a word Sasuke skipped the songs to his favorite, Short stories with tragic endings.

They listened to it together for a moment. The song was so sad that it got to Sasuke every time. He was surprised Naruto knew the band in the first place. He glanced at the blond. He was resting his head in his hand and looking out the window at the landscapes of mountains and forests.

Sasuke looked back at the road. He let out a quiet sigh, and finally he said, "I'm scared that... you're just gonna go back to your life and forget about me."

There was another long moment of silence, and then Naruto turned to look at him. He made a sad smile.

"Was it so hard to say?"

Sasuke didn't reply.

"Look I'm gonna quit my job – I'm probably already fired anyway – so we can see each other every evening. But in return I want you to promise me to take me to Japan all right?"

"I already said I would."

Naruto reached out to take his hand. Sasuke squeezed it and continued driving in silence. It was interrupted only when Naruto asked him if he by any chance had his cell phone.

"No I didn't bring it," Sasuke said, "Why?"

"Well mine's been dead for a while," Naruto frowned, "I just wanted to give Kakashi a call. But I guess I'll just have to wait."

"Sorry," Sasuke said sincerely, "I didn't think about that."

"It's okay," Naruto reassured him.

…

Later in the night – more like early in the morning – Sasuke stopped at a gas station. Naruto jumped out of the car to stretch his legs, and to go grab some coffee and snacks inside. When he returned Sasuke got an idea.

Leaning against his car he glanced up at Naruto and held up his car keys.

"You wanna drive it?"

Beautiful blue eyes lit up, so bright and vibrant in the dark, matched only by his smile.

"Hell yeah!"

Naruto sat behind the wheel and he didn't need to adjust anything since they were pretty much the same height – Sasuke refused to acknowledge that he was a little bit shorter, he was ready to argue that it was just because of Naruto's hair.

He grinned at Sasuke as he started driving, "This is awesome! Thanks!"

Sasuke couldn't help but smile at the blonde's overly enthusiastic attitude.

"If you're trying to buy my affection by letting me drive your amazing car, well… it's working!" Naruto exclaimed half-teasing, making Sasuke chuckle.

They continued stopping once in a while for Naruto to stretch and walk a little, but other than that the drive was uneventful. As dawn grew near Sasuke felt a little sleepy.

When Naruto noticed this he said, "You can sleep I don't mind. I'll just keep driving, and if the sun comes out I'll put you in the trunk."

"How considerate."

"I'm just kidding," Naruto laughed, "here…"

He managed to somehow take off his jacket as he drove. He gave it to Sasuke.

"If you cover yourself with this you'll be fine, right?"

Sasuke used it as a blanket and nodded, turning to face Naruto, "Yeah. Thanks."

It smelled like Naruto and he closed his eyes, as he clutched it in his hands.

…

When he woke up again he was bothered by the heat of the sunlight coming through the window, and covering himself up completely with the black jacket wasn't all that comfortable. It felt kind of suffocating.

"Naruto…"

"Yeah?"

Sasuke lifted the jacket slightly so he could look at his lover. "I need to get somewhere dark."

"I'm already on it," Naruto said, "we were lucky until now, clouds everywhere... But yeah the sun just came out and I thought you might be uncomfortable."

"Could you hurry up…"

"I told you I was on it!" Naruto exclaimed, but there was a hint of worry to his voice. He softened his tone, "It won't be long."

Naruto drove to the underground parking of a mall.

"Crap," he said, "I'm out of money."

Sasuke already felt better since they were in the dark, so he leaned closer to Naruto's lowered window. Once the car was stopped he locked eyes with the guy working in this parking and he said, "Let us go through."

The guy, under Sasuke's compulsion, nodded and let them drive further in the parking. Naruto shook his head in disbelief, but he didn't comment.

"What now?" Naruto asked once they were parked.

Sasuke stayed silent for a few moments.

"Naruto…" He finally spoke hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

Sasuke glanced down, "Thanks for staying with me, and not going back home with your powers."

"Ditching school is fun," Naruto shrugged.

"I'm serious, thank you."

The blonde smiled and reached out to hold him in his arms. Sasuke held him back, closing his eyes and breathing in his scent.

"You wanna go shopping?" Naruto eventually asked.

The raven chuckled, "Sure, why not."

The rest of the afternoon was spent treating Naruto to everything he could possibly want with Suigetsu's credit card. Sasuke told him the silver-haired vampire owed him money anyway. Sasuke insisted and chose one outfit for him; stylish ripped skinny jeans and a slim white button down shirt. Naruto was beyond sexy in those clothes. But he looked hot in anything.

As they passed a window Naruto mentioned that the sky was getting darker, so they decided to go back to the car. Sasuke let Naruto drive the Ferrari again because it just made him so happy. He sighed quietly as they were back on the road. This little shopping activity had only postponed the inevitable; Naruto was going back to his life now.

"Stop being so depressed," Naruto exclaimed at some point, "tell you what, to cheer you up we'll plan a date."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"No I'm serious!" Naruto went on, "let's go out tomorrow night. To a club. I won't be on drugs this time so I'll actually remember everything. I'll wear the clothes you just bought for me. I'll even do something with my hair – well, I'll try. You know, I'll look all nice for ya."

The raven couldn't help but smile, "Okay. Let's do it. And by the way," he reached out to ruffle Naruto's messy, spiky blonde locks, "I like your hair like this."

…

Naruto ended up missing his basket ball game as well as the usual after party. He commented on it but he didn't blame Sasuke in the slightest.

When he was finally parked in front of his house he turned to look at Sasuke. There was something in his blue eyes, a familiar emotion. Familiar because Sasuke felt the same way – they both didn't want to part. They had gotten used to each other's presence for the last few days and Sasuke dreaded the moment he would be alone again.

"Just come in," Naruto gave a slight shrug, "maybe you can stay the night. I'll introduce you to Kakashi and all."

"Won't he be sleeping?"

"Nah he always goes to sleep like super late," Naruto chuckled, "he's always late on his morning classes and the students love him for it."

Sasuke felt good as they got out of the car and walked up the door together. He was letting himself enjoy the little things; he would get to spend some more time with Naruto, who was now his boyfriend, actually, and he would get to see where he lived, and his bedroom, yeah, this felt kinda nice.

But the moment was short lived. When they got inside they saw that Kakashi wasn't in the mood for introductions. At first Sasuke thought he was pissed because Naruto had been away from home for almost a week, but it wasn't possible, he had compelled him to be okay with it. And it hadn't failed; actually Kakashi was upset because of something else.

"Temari's at the hospital, Naruto," he said, "thank God you're here. Shikamaru's been calling me all night. You should go to him, he needs you."

The vampire looked at Naruto. He seemed shocked and panicked, and this saddened Sasuke. He had no idea he was so fond of those people.

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked as Naruto stormed outside.

"If you want. I'm using my powers."

"What if someone sees us appear at the hospital?"

Naruto frowned, "No it'll be fine. I'll take us to the back of the parking or something. If someone does see us you can just erase their memories."

"All right," Sasuke nodded.

Naruto took his hands, squeezed a little and closed his eyes. The world went black for a second and the next; they were indeed in the parking of the nearest hospital. It was pretty much deserted, so they simply walked quickly towards the entrance.

Before they could get inside Naruto stopped. Following his glance, Sasuke saw Shikamaru standing near the front doors, smoking a cigarette, looking nervous and miserable as hell. He had a bruise on his right cheek, and his lip was bleeding.

Naruto walked up to him, and the brown-haired guy threw himself in his arms.

"Naruto's it's my entire fault…"

"Just calm down," the blonde said, pulling away softly, "and just… give me that. You quit smoking a year ago."

"You're right it's just…" Shikamaru wiped his eyes, "it's so frustrating! They won't tell me anything! And Gaara and Hinata were here earlier so it wasn't so bad but now they're gone…"

"I'm here now," Naruto said.

Sasuke felt out of place, but he stayed anyway. By the freaked out look in Shikamaru's eyes he had the feeling that something strange had happened to his girlfriend – something that possibly involved Suigetsu.

"Tell me what happened?" Naruto asked softly.

The brunet sighed shakily, "It's my fault…"

"I'm sure it's not," Naruto replied.

"One of the guys on the basket ball team, you probably know him, but I don't remember his name, anyway, he was flirting with Temari. And I was drunk so I decided to be stupid and show that I had guts for once. So we got into a fight… and I just… I don't even know what happened man I was so drunk. All I know is that I was getting the beat up of my life, and then that guy stepped into it… your ex's new boyfriend I think."

Suigetsu, Sasuke thought. _He better not have done anything stupid,_ Naruto's voice spoke in his mind.

"And then," Shikamaru went on, "Temari, she tried to step in, too. She wanted to get to me, I think. But she got pushed away by that basket ball dude. She hit her head on the corner of the table when she fell and then she was unconscious. I was so scared… and then… and then the weirdest thing happened."

"What?" Naruto frowned slightly.

"That other guy… it's Damien, right? Anyway, he took her to another room so fast that I couldn't keep up. I yelled after him and I followed him and… when I got there he was… he was trying to feed her his blood!" Shikamaru shivered and hugged himself, "I was so freaked out. I told him to get the hell out. The cops and ambulance got there after that, and…"

"Did he have time to give her some of his blood?" Sasuke asked, entering the conversation for the first time.

"Why would you ask me that?" Shikamaru frowned, "What did he do to her?"

"He was trying to help her," Sasuke replied.

"That's what he told me. He said, I'm just trying to help. But when the ambulance arrived he ran away. But I think… yeah he had time to give her some. Why would that help her?"

_Should I tell him the truth?_ Naruto's voice asked in Sasuke's mind. He answered, _If you want to. It's your choice. In any case, if Suigetsu gave his girlfriend some blood chances are she'll be just fine._

Naruto put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "Shikamaru I'm gonna tell you the truth. I was gonna tell you anyway because you're my best friend and I can't hide something like this from you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shikamaru whispered.

"Just hear me out. First of all, his name is not Damien, it's Suigetsu. He and Sasuke are special. They're kinda like… well, vampires, and their blood has healing properties for humans so if Suigetsu gave some to Temari she'll be fine."

"Naruto I don't… believe in those kinda things."

"And I didn't either, but now I have no choice. It's real."

"Look I'm gonna go back inside," Shikamaru pulled away.

"Wait," Sasuke said, "I'll show you."

Shikamaru stopped short and turned around. Sasuke could tell that he was intrigued – and freaked out. But his curiosity was taking over.

Sasuke took Naruto's arm softly and looked up into his eyes questioningly.

"Do it," the blonde nodded.

The raven parted his lips and bit Naruto's wrist. He drank a few gulps then pulled away reluctantly. _One more excuse to drink my blood, isn't it?_ Naruto told him by thought. Sasuke ignored him. He looked up at Shikamaru, flashing his fangs on purpose. The human flinched, but he continued looking. Sasuke proceeded to slide his own wrist open, and he let the blood pour on Naruto's wound. It healed right before Shikamaru's widening eyes.

"Holy shit," he whispered. "So… you think Temari's gonna be fine?"

They both looked at Sasuke expectantly.

"It depends," he said carefully, "how badly she was hurt, and how much Suigetsu gave her…"

"Maybe you can go give her some more?" Naruto suggested.

"Yes," Shikamaru nodded, "if it's gonna save her…"

"Let's just go see her first," the blonde replied.

The three made their way inside, but Shikamaru was shaking his head.

"I tried. They won't let me see her."

"Let me try," Sasuke said.

He compelled one of the nurses taking care of the reanimation center to tell them everything that was going on. So she did.

"She has a concussion," she finished, "and we're waiting for some more test results but she should be fine. You can visit her in the morning. You should go home and sleep."

"Wait," Sasuke told her, then he turned to the others, "do you want to see her or not?"

"No it's okay," Shikamaru shook his head, looking immensely relieved, "I'll wait 'til the morning."

"You can go," Sasuke told the nurse and she walked away.

"You're going to wait here?" Naruto asked his friend.

"Yeah," he nodded, averting his eyes from Sasuke.

"I'll stay with you," the blonde said firmly.

Sasuke cleared his throat, "I'll leave you guys alone then."

_We're still going out tomorrow evening_, Naruto told him by thought, _I promise_.

Sasuke gave him a quick smile and then walked towards the exit of the hospital. Seeing Naruto sad and worried about his friends like this, Sasuke simply didn't like it. He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked in the streets towards Naruto's place. It was kind of far, so he decided to run to make sure he'd make it on time back to his mansion before dawn.

He tried to keep a fairly human speed just in case people noticed him. He supposed he was running at about 35 mph, which was normal human speed, right? Maybe he should look it up for future reference.

So he got to his car in no time, and then he drove back home. Even though he missed Naruto's presence, it felt comforting to be back in his mansion. Suigetsu was there, too. Sasuke felt his presence in the private library and he went to join him.

"What're you reading?"

Suigetsu looked up from his book and uncrossed his legs, "Oh, hum, this," he showed him the title page of the book. It was a volume of the Harry Potter series. "Seriously, someone needs to give those kids some guns. Then when that Voldemort dude goes Avada – bang, too late. You know?"

Sasuke chuckled as he sat in one of the sofa in front of Suigetsu. He didn't even remember getting that book. Then he remembered hiring someone to go and buy random books for his personal library – just cause he could.

"So hum… I just got back from the hospital, thanks for saving Naruto's friend," he eventually said.

"No problem," Suigetsu gave a slight nod, "I'm here to save the day. And do tell Naruto I haven't killed any humans recently all right? I don't want him to go on fire mode on me."

The raven frowned and glanced away, "He's being very acceptive… a little too much actually. I'm afraid it's not gonna last…"

"Yeah dating humans can be a pain in the ass. That's why I broke up with that Jeremy guy."

"Really?" Sasuke made a little amused smile.

"Yeah," Suigetsu sighed and threw his head back, "he was being annoying. He asked me to take off the fangs so I could give him a blow job without hurting him."

Sasuke laughed, "Ah, yeah, that can be a problem."

"And he was _always_ talking about Naruto. He was dating me to make him jealous, can you imagine?"

"You must be devastated."

"I am," Suigetsu nodded gravely, "that's why my ladies are coming to cheer me up."

"You're kidding, right?" Sasuke arched a fine eyebrow. He really hoped he was kidding.

"About the fact that I'm devastated, yes. But Ino and Sophia are really coming here next week," he smiled.

"And you assume I'm gonna let them stay here?"

"You owe me asshole. You stole my credit card."

"…"

"Come on Sasuke please! It's not gonna be for long, okay? They're just gonna stay a few days. And then we go back to France."

The raven let out a heavy sigh. "Eh, fine…"

Why was he under the impression that he would regret this?

…

Naruto spent the rest of the night talking to Shikamaru. He told him everything about Sasuke, Suigetsu and what he knew of vampires. It felt good to get it off his chest, and Shikamaru was such a good listener. He only nodded and commented once in a while. But Naruto knew him well; Shikamaru would stay silent for now but later he would come up with his own theories and opinions. Naruto left out the fact that he had magical blood. He didn't really know how to explain it and besides, he figured Shikamaru had enough to handle for now. But mostly he didn't want his friend to think of him as someone different. He knew it was silly and he promised himself to tell Shikamaru the whole truth later. At last Shikamaru made the promise to keep this secret to himself, for Naruto's sake.

"You can go, you look awfully tired," Shikamaru told him with a little smile. "I'd rather be alone with her today, anyway."

Naruto nodded, "I understand."

"Thanks again for telling me the truth. I appreciate you trusting me."

After that Naruto left, returning home using his powers. Then he had to face Kakashi and give him some explanations as well. The poor guy hadn't been able to sleep at all, and he wanted to know what was going on.

"You don't need to worry about me," Naruto insisted as they sat together at the table, "Yes, Sasuke is a vampire, but he would never hurt me."

"Well," Kakashi sighed, "even if I told you not to see him you wouldn't listen to me so…"

"Just don't worry about me okay? I can defend myself all right against them. More than all right, actually…"

"Really? Your powers have developed already?"

Naruto gave a weak smile, "Ah man, that's kind of an understatement."

He realized he should probably have given Kakashi an update sooner. But later was better than never, so he told him all about what he had discovered regarding his powers.

Kakashi smiled, and his eyes were a bit melancholic as he said, "You have all the same powers Kushina had. Nagato could also control earth. At first he had trouble controlling it. Whenever there was an earthquake Kushina and I didn't know if it was natural or if her brother was pissed off."

Naruto laughed, "I guess I'm lucky, I haven't had any trouble controlling them so far."

"Kushina was better at controlling her powers than Nagato. Also, I didn't know her myself, but she told me that her mother was a shape shifter."

"Ah yeah, she mentioned that in the letter," Naruto recalled.

"Yeah… she didn't have that ability herself, but her mother did, and Kushina was jealous."

"Well I would've been too!" Naruto chuckled, "Man that must be so cool…"

"Shouldn't you be happy with what you already have?"

"Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right."

Kakashi shook his head slightly, "God you remind me of her so much sometimes."

Naruto simply smiled.

"Well," the older man stood up, "I should probably go to sleep before I get all emotional on you."

"All right," the blonde chuckled, "good night."

"Night."

…

Naruto woke up at 6 pm. Great, now his metabolism had copied Sasuke's. The stupid vampire would be ecstatic.

"Damn it," he muttered to himself, "I'm not a vampire yet."

He was shocked when he realized he had added yet. He was actually considering this… Well, eternal life didn't sound so bad, that was for sure. But he was conflicted. Wasn't he supposed to be the vampire's natural enemy or something like that? The protector of humans? It just didn't sound right that he became a vampire. He was supposed to have kids and continue the lineage, wasn't he?

And with modern techniques, it didn't even matter if he was gay. He could have a nice boyfriend, and he could use a surrogate mother to have his kids. And if they got bitten by vampires and unlocked their powers then he really would have to be careful not to piss them off because things would get really ugly…

Woah, he was thinking into this way too much. He put a hand to his head and tried to clear his thoughts. Instead of thinking about his future, he should be thinking about the present. He picked up his cell phone and called Shikamaru. The latter informed him that Temari was doing much better already, and that she would be out of the hospital on Monday. Naruto let out a relieved sigh.

"That's great Shika," he said sincerely. "We should do something on Monday evening, you know, to cheer her up. With the whole gang. Not a party of course… something calmer."

"Yeah that's a great idea," Shikamaru agreed, "All right well, see you later."

"Yeah, take care man."

When he hung up he saw that he had received a text message. It was from an unknown number, but he soon found out who it was. "Hey Naru-chan it's Suigetsu! We're picking you up at 11 tonight!"

Naru-chan?

And oh great, Suigetsu was tagging along. Wasn't this supposed to be just the two of them?

Naruto grunted as he got up and made his way to the bathroom. How was it that the later he got up, the more tired he felt? It didn't even make sense. He took a long and soothing shower and then made his way back to his bedroom. It looked like Kakashi wasn't home, but on Saturday nights he often went out with friends – well, colleagues from the university.

The clothes Sasuke had chosen for him did look good. The white shirt clashed with his tan skin, and the ripped skinny jeans made him look even taller and leaner. Now what to do with his hair? He had promised Sasuke he would at least try.

So he called Hinata. She told him she was free, so he replied that he would be there in about thirty minutes. And then he went outside to take the bus to her place. He could just use his powers all the time but he decided not to push his luck. What if someone saw him? What if he became exhausted and there were unknown side-effects for his body? Naruto chose to try to keep his powers for last resort only.

He texted Sasuke to ask if they could come pick him up at Hinata's house. There was no answer, so he texted Suigetsu instead, afraid that Sasuke might be too much of a technology retard for texting. The thought made him chuckle.

Suigetsu answered that there was no problem and Naruto texted him the address.

When he arrived, Hinata herself opened the door for him. Naruto was thankful because he had never gotten along too well with her father. Let's just say he didn't think too highly of people whose life objectives involved being an artist, so he had been traumatized when his daughter had dated him.

She led him to her bedroom.

"You look like a super model," she commented, blushing slightly.

She closed the door to her bedroom and sat on her bed cross legged and leaning against the pillows. Naruto pushed aside a few theory books and sat in front of her.

"You look good too."

"Naruto I'm wearing jammies," she chuckled.

"They're underrated," he replied, smiling.

"Yeah well they're comfy while staying in my room doing homework all day," she sighed.

"That sounds depressing," he bit his lip.

"Med school," she gave a slight nod.

"Yeah… so hey, how are things going with Gaara?"

"That's another depressing topic," she sighed again.

"Why?" he frowned.

"We never have time to see each other!" she shrugged helplessly. "And when we do have some free time together he never wants to do anything."

"Ah yeah that must be hard…"

"I'm sure you didn't come here to listen to me ramble about my love life. What's up?"

"Well… you're a girl."

She frowned, "Yes…"

He laughed, "You're pretty much my only girl friend. So I was wondering if you could help me… with my hair?"

"What's wrong with your hair?" she chuckled.

"Nothing! I don't know. I just wanted to try something different for once. I'm going out with… um, my new boyfriend tonight and…"

Her pale grey eyes went wide as she stared at him. "Naruto! Why didn't you tell me?"

He smiled, "I'm telling you now."

"That's great! Tell me about him!"

"He's…" he glanced away, a little smile lingering on his lips, "he's handsome, and he's…"

Why was he hesitating so much? What was there to say about Sasuke, except the fact that he was a hot vampire bastard?

"That's it?" She laughed, "just handsome?"

"He's kinda the mysterious type," he admitted, "and I haven't known him for very long. But you know what? I've discovered some of his secrets. And one of them is that he's actually really romantic."

"Aww…"

"Yeah… he keeps saying those really sweet things…"

More like thinking them, but oh well…

"But hey you'll see him for yourself. He's gonna come pick me up here later."

"Cool, so… let's do your hair?"

Thirty minutes later Naruto was sitting on a chair in front of her mirror and she was finishing doing his hair with the flat iron.

"I never realized your hair was so long," she said, almost fascinated as she did the back of his head.

The longest strands brushed his shoulders. His hair was usually going in every direction, but all sleeked out like this it appeared much longer indeed.

"Me neither," he said.

She chuckled, "But hey it's nice. You look hot. But I think I'm biased."

"That's okay," he smiled at her.

For the next few hours they ate some snacks and played video games together while waiting for Sasuke and Suigetsu to get there. It was just like old times and they were having a lot of fun together. There was just something about Hinata, even though they were exes, Naruto always felt comfortable and relaxed around her.

Hinata's father was working in his office so they were careful not to make too much noise. When the doorbell rang they hurried downstairs. Hinata opened the door and her face went red. Naruto had to admit the two vampires were quite a sight for anyone with at least a slight interest in men.

Sasuke was clad in fancy black shoes with pale grey jeans and a black v-neck tee. Suigetsu had gone for a flashier look, with red skinny jeans and a black and silver t-shirt. But most of all they were both ridiculously hot. Naruto's eyes were all on Sasuke, and the latter was particularly handsome when he flashed him an appreciative smile after checking him out.

He stepped a little closer and reached with his hand to caress the now sleek blonde locks. "It's cute..."

"Thanks, Hinata did it for me. Oh Hinata this is Suigetsu, and this is Sasuke…" He introduced.

Hinata was looking at them with wide eyes. Maybe she was hoping to see them kiss or something, Naruto thought, the way a straight guy fantasized about two girls kissing. Maybe he should give her that little show. So he leaned closer to Sasuke to kiss his lips.

When he looked back at Hinata, he knew that he had been right. She looked like she was about to faint. Time to end the show.

Suigetsu was all smiles and kissing Hinata's hand.

"Would you like to join us tonight?" he asked her.

"Ah, yeah," Naruto said, "I would've invited you but… we're going to a gay club, I don't know if that's okay with you?"

"I… I'd love to, r-really," she stuttered, and then she lowered her voice, "but my father would never agree to it. A-another time maybe."

"All right then," Suigetsu looked a little disappointed, "let's get going. It was a pleasure meeting you."

Hinata nodded and smiled. Sasuke also gave her a brief nod and then they left, Naruto mouthing a thank you at her before walking out the door.

"So why are you tagging along anyway?" He asked Suigetsu.

"Because," he said, "I'm your designated driver tonight."

The car parked in front of Hinata's house was indeed Suigetsu's. Sasuke sat in the front seat and Naruto in the back, while Suigetsu took place behind the wheel.

"Designated driver?" Naruto raised a brow, "So that means, Sasuke…"

"Wants to get drunk," Suigetsu finished for him, chuckling. He started the car and drove away.

"Vampires can get drunk?"

"Oh yes they can," Suigetsu grinned. "By the way, Hinata's really hot."

"You get near her and I'll turn you in a pile of ashes."

"All right, all right, I got it…"

When Suigetsu found a parking place they got out of the car. The three of them walked towards the fancy gay night club, and Naruto stopped at the end of the line.

"Are you kidding?" Sasuke rolled his eyes, and took his hand, "Come on."

"But…" Naruto protested.

They walked up to the door guy and Suigetsu lowered his sunglasses.

"We're on the guest list," he said in a low voice.

The guy nodded and let them go through.

"That's so wrong," Naruto said.

"Who cares?" Sasuke replied.

He led him directly to the bar. Suigetsu followed slowly behind, his eyes lingering on some hot guys passing by.

"Twelve shots of vodka lime please," Sasuke asked the bartender, "oh, and it's free for us."

"What the...!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Look, I don't have money to waste on this…"

"No, I meant what you ordered! Twelve shots!"

"Six each," Sasuke shrugged, "good way to start the night, no?"

Naruto just laughed and slid his arm around the vampire's skinny waist, "Yeah whatever."

The bartender came back with the shooters. Suigetsu appeared behind Naruto and stole one.

"I thought you were the designated driver?" Naruto said.

"One shot's not gonna do anything to me big boy," Suigetsu chuckled. "All right I'm gonna leave you guys alone and go hunt."

"Don't kill anyone!" Naruto reminded him, "Or I kill you."

"I know, I know."

Sasuke downed one shooter, and made a face.

"Why do you drink if you don't even like it?" Naruto chuckled.

The raven shrugged, "No reason."

It was so obvious he was hiding something. Naruto repressed the urge to read his mind. Instead he took one shooter and drank it. Sasuke did likewise.

"So what's this Hinata girl to you?" Sasuke asked, tilting his head slightly.

Naruto smiled, "We've always been friends. We dated in high school, before I realized I was gay. We managed to stay friends after that, and I'm glad. I really care about her."

There was a moment of silence, and then Sasuke changed the subject. "Naruto, I wanted to say, how come you adapt so well to any situation?" He caressed his arm, "You're amazing. Most people would be insane by now."

Naruto shook his head, "I think you're underestimating humans."

"Hmm I don't care about humans," he said before drinking another shot. Naruto imitated him.

"You care about one," he replied teasingly.

"You're quite the exception."

When Naruto had drunk five shooters, and Sasuke six, the latter told the bartender to give them two of his strongest cocktail.

"You trying to kill me?" Naruto laughed.

Sasuke shrugged, "If you don't want it give it to me."

And Naruto did just that because he felt like if he drank all that liquor he would be hungover for days – and it was bad enough already that he had missed almost an entire week of school.

After one cocktail Sasuke started making out with him and kissing his neck as they leaned against the bar counter. Naruto pushed him away playfully. Sasuke drank his second cocktail and made a face again.

"That was kinda gross. But necessary."

"What the hell?" Naruto laughed, "Tell me the truth Sasuke, why do you want to get drunk?"

Only after he had ordered another bunch of shots did Sasuke answer.

"Because Suigetsu said that…" he hesitated, looking up at him with those big dark eyes, "I was too stuck up, and you'd get tired of me. So I wanted to show you a more fun side of me."

Naruto caressed his cheek as he leaned closer, "Hey, you weren't stuck up on the mountain the other day…"

"Hmm… yeah I guess I wasn't, huh?"

"No," Naruto whispered before kissing him.

Sasuke pulled away so that he could drink the rest of the shots. Naruto drank some as well, and then they went on the dance floor. Naruto noticed that Suigetsu was dancing on a small stage in the corner with a sexy brunet guy. Sasuke smiled as he followed his glance, and then he looked back at Naruto.

"You a good dancer?"

"I've been told, yeah," Naruto smiled back.

"Then should we join him up there?" Sasuke asked. He made it sound like a challenge.

"You bet," Naruto took his hand and led him towards the stage. The alcohol was starting to get to his head, and the house music was sounding damn good.

Suigetsu smiled when he saw them. But Naruto and Sasuke's eyes were all over each other. They started dancing and Naruto had to smile again as he looked into his lover's beautiful eyes. He really was a good dancer. His body just followed the rhythm of the music perfectly.

All of a sudden Sasuke placed his hands on Naruto's hips and brought him closer. And Naruto found he had no choice but to follow his lead. Hell, Sasuke knew what he was doing. They were giving their little audience of horny guys quite a show. Their hands were all over each other as they danced passionately. Naruto kept pulling away teasingly, but every time Sasuke pulled him close again.

When they kissed some guys cheered loud enough to be heard over the music – and that was saying something. Naruto barely noticed though. There was only Sasuke's body, his eyes, his lips, the music, and dancing.

At some point Suigetsu and his dance partner returned on the dance floor, and Sasuke and Naruto did the same. In the middle of the thick crowd they felt even freer to do anything they wanted. They grinded each other harshly as they danced. Sasuke even turned Naruto around in his arms and grinded him from behind. Naruto laughed.

"Someone's horny…"

Sasuke kissed his neck, "You have no idea… how bad I want you."

Naruto shivered and turned around to crash his lips onto Sasuke's.

"Mm…" the raven moaned when they pulled away, "where's our designated driver?"

"Suigetsu?" Naruto said as he turned to look at the silver-haired vampire.

He also had to pull away from his dance partner in order to talk to Naruto.

"Yeah?"

"You ready to go…?"

"You wanna come over to my place?" Suigetsu asked the brown-haired guy. He nodded fervently. Suigetsu smiled at Naruto, "Then let's go."

_A/N: So lots of action to come. New characters introduced, plot twists, and more. I hope you liked the chapter. More coming soon, as in, a week, lol, for sure this time. Sorry again, and thank you so much for reading._


	12. Lovers quarrel

**12. Lovers quarrel**

Sasuke couldn't take his hands off Naruto as they sat in the backseat of Suigetsu's car. He couldn't wait to be home, in his bedroom, preferably with Naruto naked on his bed. That was always a plus.

"Sasuke you're so drunk. I can't believe you're drunk," Naruto laughed, pushing him away playfully.

He kept doing that. It only made Sasuke even hornier – if possible. Suigetsu finally drove into his entryway and he exited the vehicle with his new little friend. The two others did the same. The vampire and his prey. This was how Sasuke saw things right now. Why not? He was having so much fun. The night air was rather cold and it had started raining but Sasuke could barely feel it. His skin was heating up wherever it came in contact with Naruto's.

Suigetsu was getting impatient, so Sasuke went to unlock the door so that the four of them could get in.

"You guys feel like a foursome?" Suigetsu asked.

The brunet guy checked them out and exclaimed, "Fuck yeah."

"Fuck no," Sasuke replied as he pulled Naruto close, "I ain't sharing," he added, making Naruto chuckle.

"Oh well," Suigetsu told the other guy, "looks like it's just you and me baby."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and taking Naruto's arm he led him all the way upstairs.

"I'm kinda drunk too you know," Naruto whispered in his ear, "are you gonna take advantage of me?"

The raven hurried to his bedroom and once they were inside he ravished his lips. When he pulled away he whispered huskily, "Oh I will."

He started unbuttoning his shirt and he kissed his neck at the same time. When he was done he threw away the piece of clothing and he ran his hands across smooth and tan skin.

"You're so hot Naruto. You're perfect. I want you, so bad…"

"I want you too…" Naruto whispered and he lifted the hem of his shirt.

Sasuke lifted his arms so that Naruto could take it off. They pressed their bodies closer and kissed each other's necks, jaws, until their lips met once more. Sasuke brought his hand to Naruto's jeans to unbutton them. He pulled them down and as he moved up again, teasingly gave Naruto's erection a lick. It made the blonde hiss in pleasure. Then Sasuke stripped off his own clothes, Naruto helping him.

They moved things to the bed and Sasuke climbed on top of Naruto. This time he was intent on keeping that position, and he made it known. He kissed Naruto everywhere aggressively and soon the blonde was moaning and writhing in desire. Sasuke had him right where he wanted.

"Are you ready to do this?" He purred in his ear.

When Naruto didn't reply he pulled away to lock eyes with him. Such beautiful blue eyes. He caressed his cheek, suddenly tender. Naruto took his hand.

"Yeah…" Naruto finally said.

Sasuke frowned, "You sure?"

Despite being drunk and horny he still cared about Naruto's feelings. And he didn't want to hurt him by going too fast. Naruto smiled.

"Now I am."

"I told you not to do that," he said but he wasn't really angry. He decided to let the mind reading thing slide this time. "I won't hurt you," he reassured him.

Using lube which he had bought very recently, and specifically for this occasion, he proceeded to stretch Naruto with his fingers slowly. He had to be patient. Naruto's expression looked slightly pained and Sasuke kissed him passionately to distract him.

"I'm kinda drunk so it won't be so bad I guess," the blonde eventually said, chuckling.

Sasuke whispered, "This is your last chance to tell me to stop. Once I've started, I can't make any promises…"

Naruto shook his head slightly as he caressed his long raven locks, "No I want this. Don't you dare stop."

He smirked and he positioned himself to slide inside of Naruto. When he did the blonde let out a pained moan. Sasuke was feeling so good though. This had been his constant fantasy lately; having Naruto under him like that, at his mercy. But he had promised not to hurt him.

So he moved very slowly and carefully. Naruto's expression relaxed and he wrapped his arms around him to pull him close. They held each other tenderly as Sasuke moved inside of him. Soon Naruto relaxed even more. Sasuke spread his lover's legs even more and pushed them up so he could shift and have an even better position.

"You can go faster," Naruto whispered. His voice was so hot, and his lips were darkened from being kissed all night.

Sasuke didn't have to be told twice. He picked up the pace. Naruto's moans became ones of pleasure. Sasuke kissed his lips passionately, and moaned through it. They both did. Naruto's hips were matching his movements showing just how much the blonde wanted more. Sasuke's thrusts became harder and faster inside of him, bringing them both closer to climax.

When he slowed down again, wanting to prolong the moment, Naruto made a cute little sound of protest. Sasuke kissed him and when he pulled away he whispered, "I don't want it to be over just yet…"

Naruto smirked, "Who said there wasn't gonna be a round two?"

"No one," the raven smiled.

"Exactly."

"You're amazing."

Sasuke let loose all of his passion and desire. It wasn't long before they came together, but just like Naruto had promised, they were far from done for tonight…

"My turn," the blonde said in his ear.

His smirk was nothing but devilish at this moment and Sasuke absolutely loved it. Well damn, this was definitely the best night ever.

**F & I**

When Naruto woke up he was hungover and his body hurt everywhere, and yet he felt so happy. Maybe this was love? Being hurt and hungover and still being happy? Probably. Naruto smiled at his silly train of thoughts and he pulled Sasuke close in his arms. It didn't wake him up. Naruto had learned by now that the vampire was almost impossible to wake up during the day. So he let his hands roam freely on his smooth pale skin. He enjoyed the cool feel of it and he also very much enjoyed feeling Sasuke's muscles. They didn't change the fact that he was rather skinny, but Naruto didn't care. He loved everything about him, every inch of his body, and his mind also. He leaned even closer to his face as he caressed the soft raven locks.

"I don't care if you're a stuck up bastard sometimes," he whispered, "you don't have to get drunk for me to love you, that was so silly..."

Sasuke's bed was beyond comfortable, but Naruto was still human and unfortunately he had to get up and go to the bathroom. On the way he picked up his clothes and got dressed; he wouldn't want Suigetsu or the other guy – if he was still there – to see him naked. They would probably jump on him and force him into a threesome.

When he was done in the bathroom he decided to go outside to breathe some fresh air since Sasuke wouldn't wake up in another few hours anyway. Suigetsu was probably still sleeping because Naruto didn't encounter anyone in the mansion.

He sat on the porch and just relaxed for a moment, looking at the beautiful view of the ocean, and enjoying the wind in his hair. The ringing of his cell phone brought him out of his contemplation. He answered it. It was Shikamaru.

"Naruto I've been trying to call you for hours."

"I'm sorry I was sleeping. What's going on?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking… About this vampire thing. You know me, no matter how troublesome it is, I'll think things through until I'm satisfied. And I've also been talking a lot with Temari – don't worry, I didn't tell her anything, although it was hard…"

"Where are you getting at?" Naruto asked, confused.

"I know Sasuke's your boyfriend and you love him a lot but you need to hear me out. With Temari we ended up talking about Kankuro last night. She was telling me how much she missed him. You remember Kankuro?"

"Gaara and Temari's brother, yeah. He ran away a few years ago, right?"

"That's just it. We don't know. He was never found. Cops said he had run away because he was somewhat of a rebellious teenager. And he was an adult so they didn't even make a case. But I knew him, Naruto. I considered him my brother, too. And with Temari we agree that he would never have run away."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Naruto asked on a rather harsh tone, which he regretted right away. But it was because he knew all too well where this was going…

"I think Sasuke killed him. I think he's killed a lot of people. Every mysterious disappearance in the area, Naruto, it's gotta be him."

He swallowed hard. He didn't know what to reply to that. This was something Sasuke and him had put on the list of things to talk about later. Later meaning possibly never. But Shikamaru was forcing him to confront the idea that he was dating a murderer. Which was the undeniable truth.

"I don't know how to say this Naruto. He needs to pay for his crimes. And he needs to be stopped, otherwise more people will die."

"He's a… he needs blood to survive though."

"That's not an excuse! There must be other ways. Did he feed from you without killing you?"

Naruto's heart sank. It was so true… and it hurt so much, because now he had no choice, he had to face the facts. Sasuke had killed so many people, when he could've just taken a little bit of blood without killing them.

"I'm sorry Shika I… I gotta go."

"All right but this conversation isn't over."

"I know…" He said before hanging up.

Naruto turned his head to look up at Sasuke's bedroom window. He wasn't even certain which one it was but he was pretty sure he was looking in its general direction. Anyway, then he just got up and started walking back home. He could've just used his powers, but he needed some time to think. His mind was desperately blank though. He simply didn't know what to think. Nothing would change the past. Nothing would change what Sasuke had done before. Was the past a good enough reason to end what he had with him?

He didn't know. He had no idea if he would be able to completely overcome the fact that Sasuke was a murderer one day. It had been nagging at the back of his mind lately and so far he had been able to ignore it well enough. But not anymore… Not after what Shikamaru had said.

And then, as he walked, thoughts started swirling in his head, making him feel almost dizzy. He remembered, a year ago, Hinata crying in Gaara's arms because she missed one of her friends from med school – he'd been reported missing, and he probably still was. He remembered, a few months ago, when Jey's cousin had gone missing. Everyone had thought he was a run away kid. Maybe it wasn't so… He remembered Kakashi mentioning that one of his colleagues was claiming that her daughter had been kidnapped, because she would never run away from home. Kakashi had told Naruto to be careful back then. He remembered so many times when he'd heard about disappearances on the news. Of course, and thankfully, sometimes people were found again. But when they weren't… Did it mean, all those people had been killed by… vampires? And if the only vampire around had been Sasuke…

Naruto leaned against the wall of an apartment complex. He wasn't that far from home but he just needed to stop for a moment. He had a hard time breathing suddenly, his throat felt dry and he felt like throwing up. This was just too much to take in. The fact that Sasuke was a vampire in itself didn't bother him. But all the things he'd done… Could Naruto ever overcome that?

He managed to walk the rest of the way back home. He probably looked miserable because Kakashi got worried about him, and asked questions. But Naruto shrugged it all off and went to lock himself in his bedroom. He stripped off his clothes and tossed them on the floor, adding to the mess.

Feeling utterly exhausted, he decided to just lie down on his bed. He closed his eyes and drifted into sleep after a few minutes.

_He was walking down a dark alley. He had no idea where he was, or why he was there, but he kept walking. There was something strange, a smell… It smelled like blood. _

_He came across a body, and in the dark he had to approach to recognize the person. His heart sank and his blood ran cold when he finally recognized Hinata. She had bite marks all over her. When he looked up again he saw a vampire standing nearby. Suigetsu._

"_Come on man what're you gonna do?" He shrugged, "We're friends aren't we?"_

_Naruto clenched his fists and gathered his strength, focusing on his powers, but to his surprise nothing happened. This made Suigetsu laugh. Why were his powers gone? He needed to burn him! Suigetsu needed to pay for what he'd done to Hinata! She didn't deserve this!_

_Then the dream changed, as dreams often do. It was Sasuke standing in front of him now. And on the ground lay Sai and Jey's bodies, and also further another one. Naruto let out a yell of anger when he recognized Shikamaru._

_"What did you do?"_

"_I couldn't let him wander around knowing my secret and tell everyone about it," Sasuke said. "And these two well, they were just annoying as hell. You're better off without them, aren't you?"_

_Naruto jumped on Sasuke to punch him with all his strength. But Sasuke just disappeared. _

"_You're not fast enough," he taunted. _

_Naruto turned around quickly. Sasuke was just standing casually with a smirk on his lips. _

"_Why would you fight me, Naruto? We're boyfriends, remember?"_

Naruto felt so confused and angry as he woke up with a start. He'd somehow known all along that it was only a dream, and yet he'd felt the pain of losing his friends as if it was all too real. His heart felt heavy in his chest and the confusion was so overwhelming. Everything had happened so fast recently, and now he was doing all the thinking at once and it wasn't such a good thing. He felt conflicted beyond understanding.

He decided to take a quick shower, and when he was done he got dressed in simple black jeans and matching tee and he stood in his room, immobile for a moment. He closed his eyes. He needed to confront Sasuke. He wasn't good with thinking things through. He wasn't like Shikamaru. He needed a direct confrontation. So he visualized Sasuke's bedroom in his mind.

When he opened his eyes he was standing right in front of Sasuke's bed. And the latter was still asleep. Naruto didn't hesitate one second; he went to open the blinds. It was the evening but the sun was still bright enough. Slivers of light flooded in the room and lighted up Sasuke's pale, beautiful face. The vampire let out a pained moan in his sleep. The skin on his chest, arm and face started reddening.

Sasuke woke up with a start and threw himself onto the floor to escape the light. He shouted, "What the hell? Naruto?"

"We need to talk."

Naruto shut the blinds, and Sasuke, looking somewhat like a frightened animal, slowly stood up. His skin had already healed, and it was pale white again. His eyes were a bit watery though, and he looked shaken up.

"Not a very nice way to wake me up," he said on a low, angry tone.

"We need to talk," Naruto simply repeated.

Sasuke frowned, and he went to put on his black sweat pants. Then he leaned against the nearest wall and crossed his arms.

"About what?" He finally asked.

The blonde let out a deep sigh. He leaned against the window frame, averting his eyes. Unfortunately, there was no subtle way to talk about what was on his mind.

He looked up again, and locked eyes with Sasuke across the large bedroom. "Just… just how many people did you kill? Tell me."

The raven held his gaze for a moment, and then looked away, clearly troubled and startled by this. Naruto felt a pang of guilt in his chest, but at the same time, he had no choice. They needed to have this talk. He needed to hear Sasuke out, and decide if he was going to be able to forgive him and move on.

When Sasuke didn't reply, Naruto insisted, "Tell me! Tell me the truth!"

"Why do you want to talk about this? What's the point?"

"I need to know," he said desperately.

Sasuke whispered, "I don't know. I don't have a number to give you. I mean, what kind of answer do you want from me?"

Naruto took a step towards him. "Do you even regret any of those killings?"

The raven uncrossed his arms and slowly looked up at him. His dark eyes said it all; he didn't regret. He was completely indifferent.

"I'm sorry Naruto."

"No you're not!" Naruto stepped closer, "No you're not, and that's the problem!"

"What do you want me to say?" He exclaimed helplessly.

"I don't know," Naruto said, frustrated, "but… I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can be with you, knowing that you've killed so many… taken so many innocent lives!"

"You realized this only now?" Sasuke arched a delicate black eyebrow, "Yes, I'm a monster, Naruto. I'm not human, and I don't care about humans. They're food to me. Happy now?"

"But you were human once!"

"Yeah six fucking centuries ago!"

Naruto's blue eyes widened. He'd been just about to take another step closer but he went completely still. He realized Sasuke had never told him his age before. Six… centuries? Had he heard right?

"I really don't know if I can do this," Naruto whispered.

"I've read enough books and seen enough stupid movies to know that this is called breaking up. Well good for you. Maybe you should go back to Jeremy. Or that other idiot… Sai I think?"

"Leave them out of this," Naruto hissed, remembering his dream.

"Oh how cute, you care about them," Sasuke said, still on that bitter and sad tone. Now it was his turn to step towards Naruto. When they were close enough he parted his lips enough to reveal his fangs. "See that? I killed people with that. Maybe I killed some of your friends, or classmates. Who knows? I don't even remember them."

Almost reflexively Naruto unleashed his powers and Sasuke was sent flying across the room. He crashed onto the wall so roughly that it cracked, and the house seemed to shake a little. Naruto turned to the side, looking up at the vampire, and held him there with his powers.

"Why are you telling me this?" He exclaimed, "Do you really want me to hate you?"

Sasuke glared at him, "It would make things easier for you, wouldn't it? You could just kill me. Would solve all your problems."

Naruto produced a flame in his hand. Sasuke didn't look scared in the slightest.

"Be careful what you say, Sasuke. It would be so easy for me to kill you."

"I know that."

Those three simple words only infuriated Naruto even more. But the flame disappeared and he let go of Sasuke. He fell onto the floor, but somehow managed to get up graciously. Only because Naruto had stopped using his magical powers didn't mean this was over though. He walked up to the vampire quickly and punched him hard, again and again. Sasuke wasn't even defending himself.

"You bastard! At least fight back! Tell me something, anything, that would give me a reason not to hate you! Not to kill you!"

Sasuke eventually stopped his fist with his hand. But he didn't crush it or anything. He just stopped it, and wiped the blood on his lip with his free hand. His face healed right away. It was like Naruto had never hit him.

"I got nothing," he said in a mere whisper, a whisper so sad that Naruto's anger faded. He pulled away.

"That's not true," he argued, "that's not true and we both know it. There is good in you. I can sense these things. The same way I could sense that there was no good at all in that Orochimaru guy."

Sasuke looked up at him with such bitter onyx eyes. Then he glanced down and went to sit on his bed. There was a long moment of silence, and Naruto simply stood, watching him, waiting.

"You wanted to know," he whispered, still glancing down, and his raven bangs were hiding his eyes, "about my past."

"…Yeah," Naruto whispered.

"I'll try not to… make a fool of myself but… that tends to happen…"

The blonde reached out and focused on Sasuke's mind briefly, only to find out that by making a fool of himself he meant breaking down into tears; Sasuke was afraid to cry in front of him. Naruto frowned as he sat in the chair by the nice oak desk. He brought it a little closer to the bed and said, "That's okay. Just spill it out. I want to understand you. As much as possible, anyway."

Sasuke took a deep breath and lay down on his back. He put one hand under his head and with the other he fisted the sheets.

"My father was a land lord in Kyoto," he said. His voice was emotionless, but Naruto had the feeling it wouldn't stay that way for very long. "My mother was the most beautiful woman in the region. People often told my brother and I that we looked just like her." He sighed, "I loved them a lot, if that's what you want to know, yeah, I was a human, and a pretty normal one at that. I was um… actually I'm not even sure of how old I was," he chuckled, and turned his head slightly to look at Naruto, "kinda pathetic, huh?"

Naruto's eyes softened and he gave a slight shrug, "You look like you're twenty. Maybe a little younger."

The raven gave a slight nod, and looked at the ceiling, folding his leg slightly, "Something like that I guess. Whenever I was out at night, I kept getting the feeling that I was being followed, and watched. It was freaking me out. But I didn't tell this to anyone because I didn't want to sound crazy. And one night, well… I met him."

"Who? Varin?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke flinched slightly.

"Yeah," he whispered, closing his eyes. "He was as tall as me, his skin was pale white, and he had long, wavy brown hair. His eyes were green and from his appearance and accent I could tell that he was a foreigner. It was rare at the time, you know? I remember being freaked out. He was talking to me but I couldn't understand his language. Then he started talking in Japanese... I remember he kept telling me that I was perfect. I was totally scared but I couldn't get away. He told me not to scream so I couldn't scream. And then he drank my blood. Almost all of it. I passed out, but then he gave me his blood and I woke up. I couldn't stop drinking it. He had to stop me actually. And then I became a vampire, just like that. Well of course it hurts while your body's changing at first, but I mean, it's fairly easy for a human to become a vampire, when you think about it. Fairly easy for a life to drift into darkness. Into this fucked up mess…"

Sasuke's eyes opened and he looked at Naruto. The latter frowned; he was seeing something in the beautiful dark grey eyes that he didn't like. He saw despair, frustration and sorrow.

Slowly the slender male sat up on the bed and hugged his knees. But he remained silent. Naruto decided to encourage him. He wanted to know the rest of the story.

"Then he took you away?" Naruto asked in a little voice.

"…No," Sasuke whispered, "I wish he had… But he… first he… ordered me to… kill them. To kill my parents and my brother."

Naruto bit his lip, and brought the chair a little closer. Before he could think of something to say Sasuke went on.

"So I went to get my sword and I went in my parents' bedroom first. I slaughtered them both. It felt like I was in some fucked up nightmare," Sasuke swallowed hard, and his voice kept getting shakier, "you know, I couldn't… I couldn't control my body. So then I went to my brother's bedroom. Itachi… he… he was… awake. He looked so shocked. So betrayed… You know, he was the one who gave me that sword. He was also the one to teach me how to use it. I'm pretty sure he didn't expect to be killed by it… by me."

Sasuke closed his eyes and bloody tears rolled down his cheeks. Naruto didn't know what to say. He could only listen.

"Then yeah after that he took me away. We went to his house in the South of Italy. Sakura was waiting for us there."

"Sakura?" Naruto asked. This was the first time Sasuke told him about her.

He let out a bitter chuckle, "What could I say about Sakura? She was Varin's companion, you know? She liked the luxury of living with him. But I wanted nothing to do with them. Varin had no choice but to mind control me constantly. I was literally… a slave. How could I say this... I wasn't just the type of slave that does chores in the house. "

Naruto closed his eyes. His heart dropped in his chest and it became difficult to breathe. Yeah, Sasuke had been right; his past wasn't exactly a beautiful tale. He knew what he meant by that last sentence. Sasuke had been raped in the past, he knew that much.

"How many times… did he…?"

"I can't count them," he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. He fell on his back and pressed a hand to his eyes, as if it could stop him from reliving the memories.

Naruto couldn't bear seeing him like this anymore. Forgetting all the anger and frustration he had felt before, he crawled on the bed next to Sasuke. Carefully he put one arm around him comfortingly.

"It wasn't just him, it was Sakura, too… I mean, I was compelled to do it. Somehow it was even more humiliating."

Sasuke opened his eyes, but he didn't look at him. Instead he looked at the ceiling, but he was seeing right through it, looking into a distant past. His pale hand reached out to take Naruto's hand though, and he squeezed it slightly.

"He was also using me for art. Sometimes he invited friends over in the evening; painters, sculptors, and they were using me as a model. I was compelled of course. I always was, constantly," Sasuke insisted on that fact, clearly it had been very humiliating for him. Naruto pressed himself closer slightly. "I felt lifeless. Like an object. The only person to acknowledge my suffering, well, I already told you about her."

"Kushina," Naruto whispered.

"Yes. I already told you about the deal she had with Varin. Their relationship could be defined by the saying, keep your friends close, and keep your enemies closer. Unfortunately in that case, Varin had the upper hand because of the spell he had forced her to cast on herself and her descendants. She risked her life for me. She tried to help me escape. I'll never forget that," he made a little sad smile, and turned on his side to face Naruto.

"I wish she'd succeeded," Naruto said. He kept his arm around Sasuke firmly.

The raven reached out to caress his hair, "You remind me of her. I know I told you already but… It's just, intense, you know? This feeling that somehow you're just like her. So… so kind, so caring… I was so sad when she died. And the last bit of me that still felt alive died with her."

After a pause Naruto asked, "How long did you stay with those two?"

"About one hundred years," he whispered and he looked so miserable as he relived those horrible memories. Naruto just had to pull him close in his arms. He was on the verge of crying.

"One hundred years? Are you kidding..." he sighed. That couldn't be right.

Sasuke just buried his face in the crook of his neck and a few bloody tears fell silently. "I was dead. I was… their toy. I'd been controlled so much that my mind felt completely dead and broken, just like my body and my heart. Everything about me was just… utterly destroyed. That's how I felt anyway. I wasn't really aware of time passing by. We travelled around the world but I couldn't admire any of the new places. I was always locked up somewhere. Sure I tried to kill myself. But when you're a vampire that's kind of... impossible. My only consolation was that Kushina's children had managed to escape. Sometimes I dreamed about them. They were coming to save me. But then I stopped dreaming. I stopped existing. I don't really know how to explain… I became so lifeless that at some point Varin just stopped compelling me. He didn't even need to anymore."

"And you escaped?" Naruto asked softly.

"…Yeah. It was Varin's mistake. He must have thought that it was fine, that I was brainwashed for good and that I would always stay with him. I probably gave him that impression. But I guess deep down there was still something alive inside of me, because one night I just… took off. Things are kind of blurry when it gets to that part. It was just like a dream. It didn't seem real to me at all. I ran and ran. I found shelters during the days. I somehow managed to get to Japan, and Kyoto, and the place where I was born. The place where I killed my family. Everything had changed of course but I didn't care. I dug my own grave in the ground and I just fell asleep."

Naruto caressed his hair softly, "How long did you sleep?"

"A while… A really, really long while."

"What, like, years?"

"Nearly two hundred, yeah…"

"Holy shit…"

"I wasn't conscious," Sasuke explained, "I was... dead. And I wanted to stay dead. But the thing with vampires, you can be brought back to life. Suigetsu found me. He told me his story countless times, so I might as well tell you. It's nothing spectacular. He was turned by some really young vampire girl who'd taken a liking in him, and then she killed his family so that they wouldn't ask questions or cause trouble... so he was pissed at her and killed her. I guess that's something we had in common, except the vampire who changed me was way too powerful for me to kill him. Anyway, after that Suigetsu was bored and he sought other vampires. He told me he felt something even though it was very faint. That something was me. He found me and fed me his blood to bring me back to life. You know the rest I guess… But," he swallowed hard and pulled away slightly so he could lock eyes with Naruto, "since you know everything now, I guess I can tell you this. It took me a really long time to feel alive again. I never talked. I never wanted to do anything. Suigetsu was patient. He really wanted us to be friends. Somehow he knew that I hadn't had it easy so he wanted to help. If he hadn't been there I'd probably just have returned to my sleep underground. He… Suigetsu brought humans to me so that I could feed. He did everything for me. He often called me a suicidal idiot because I wanted to stay out there in the sun during the day, and I wanted to starve. He was always saving me," Sasuke chuckled sadly, "that's how it was at first anyway. At some point I got better… the acting thing helped. Like I told you I felt like I could forget everything, and be someone else. So I found my voice again. I was alive again – somehow. But I… I didn't consider myself human anymore. Up until a few weeks ago, when I met you, I was killing humans whenever I needed to feed. It was that simple. I just didn't care."

"So you're not doing it anymore," Naruto said. He wanted to hold on to that. If Sasuke could make that promise, then maybe, things could work out…

"No," he said, "I'm not. You know, I never forgot about her. Kushina. I kept hoping that maybe someday I'd get to see her descendants. And I met you. It made me realize that… they're humans, too. You're human. I guess after all this time, I care again."

"Good," Naruto whispered, and kissed his forehead softly, "I'm glad. Let's forget about the past then. As much as we can."

Sasuke looked up, and leaned closer to kiss his lips tenderly. "Thank you, Naruto. I… I…" In a mere whisper Sasuke finally said, "Suki..."

"I love you too Sasuke."

"You knew that?"

"I've watched a few anime," he smiled, "By the way I love your accent, and your voice."

"Stay with me forever, Naruto." He said the words in Japanese, and Naruto didn't understand. But he cheated, and read his mind. Apparently, with this power, no matter the language, he would always understand his lover's thoughts.

And Naruto understood the true meaning behind those words. He knew that Sasuke was talking about him becoming a vampire too. For a lack of a better thing to say, he replied, "I can't give you an answer right now. But… I'll think about it."


	13. Unforgiving powers

**13. Unforgiving powers**

Naruto spent the whole week trying to get back on track with his school work. He also showed up to every basket ball practice, telling the coach how sorry he was. It turned out he wasn't angry, just really glad Naruto wasn't quitting. Yeah, he was that good. He'd received offers from sports agents before, but he'd turned them away. It was just a hobby for him; he didn't want to do this as a career.

Sai kept following him everywhere, asking questions, about where he'd been the past week, what was going on, what was so special about this Sasuke guy anyway… Naruto was rather annoyed. Well, nothing new there. Also it turned out that Jeremy hadn't quit the acting class after all. So Naruto rehearsed his lines as much as he could and for the little play in front of the class they did well even though they hadn't practiced together. Jey added a little improvisation at the end of their part by kissing him. The teacher actually liked it and gave them extra points, which was weird. Naruto decided he probably shouldn't tell Sasuke about this.

As for Sasuke well, he had discovered the wonderful option of texting on his cell phone. Naruto blamed Suigetsu for this. And now he received texts all freakin' night long. Sasuke would text him that he was bored, that he wanted to see him, that he wanted to kiss him, and that he wanted to fuck him. Naruto would answer that he was trying to fucking sleep. But secretly he enjoyed the texts from his boyfriend. Who wouldn't?

On Friday night there was the usual after game party. Naruto had always invited Shikamaru because he just always came to see him play and it was kind of their tradition. But this time he didn't show up. Naruto was worried that their friendship would be affected by all this. He needed to talk to Shikamaru about the decision he'd taken. If Sasuke and Suigetsu respected their promise of not harming anyone, well then he could forgive them for the past.

Speaking of which, it seemed Sasuke and Suigetsu had showed up to the party.

"Hey awesome game Naruto!" Suigetsu grinned as he walked up to him.

"Thanks," he smiled, "so you guys watched me play huh?"

Suigetsu pointed at the raven-haired male standing right next to him, "I had to explain him the rules the whole time. He's worst than a girl."

"I didn't actually ask you to explain me," the raven pointed out.

Then he ignored Suigetsu in order to hug Naruto and kiss him. "I missed you," he whispered, "I was so bored without you."

"Yeah I think you got that part covered with the texts," Naruto chuckled.

"Ah the beauty of love," Suigetsu said, "you spend countless years on your own and you just don't care, and then you meet someone you love and the next minute you spend alone feels like eternity."

"Wow, that was so deep," Naruto teased him as he pulled away from Sasuke.

Some team mates had seen him and teased him a little, but it was all good, they were open minded and didn't care about the fact that he was gay. He lived in San Francisco, after all. Still, he could tell Sasuke felt like getting out of the crowded house. So they did, and to Sasuke's obvious annoyance, Suigetsu followed them. This made Naruto smile. After all, Suigetsu was kind of his ex, so if Sasuke preferred being alone with Naruto it was probably a good thing.

Once they were out of anyone else's hearing range Sasuke took Naruto's hand and leaned closer. "I'm thirsty."

The blond chuckled, "You can feed from me I don't mind."

"Can I feed from you too?" Suigetsu asked expectantly.

Before Naruto could answer Sasuke beat him to it.

"Hell no. You can just keep stealing from the hospital."

Thank God no one could hear their conversation… But Naruto was smiling. Sasuke's possessiveness was amusing. Sulking, Suigetsu informed them that he was returning to the party because they were no fun.

Sasuke whispered, "So… should we go to my place?"

Naruto placed a hand at his hip teasingly, sliding it under his shirt. "We should go to my place for once," he replied.

"But… Kakashi…"

"He's spending the whole weekend with his new girlfriend," Naruto smirked.

"Interesting."

"Let's go then."

He led Sasuke to the back of the house, where they hid behind some cedars so that no one could see them. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke, closed his eyes and used his powers transported them to his bedroom – so maybe it wasn't a last resort situation but sometimes he didn't care. Naruto had cleaned up his room the day before, which was why he'd finally invited Sasuke over.

"Is it really necessary to hold me like that to do this trick?" The raven asked, amused.

"No," Naruto smiled, "it's just an excuse I guess."

"Oh, well, I'm not complaining…"

It wasn't long before they were making out passionately with their bodies flushed against each other. Before he knew it Naruto was stripped off his clothes by a crazy Sasuke.

"Weren't you thirsty?" He chuckled.

Sasuke's breath on his neck made him shiver. "Now I'm horny and thirsty…"

The blonde laughed as he pushed the vampire on his bed. It wasn't as comfortable and large as Sasuke's king sized one but it would do all right. Besides, Naruto certainly wasn't complaining about the current situation…

"You know, I'm kind of horny myself," he admitted as he climbed on top of the raven, "I missed you this week. I was so busy with school, and yet all I could think about was you. And now, having you here, in my bedroom, it's kinda great."

Sasuke looked around the bedroom for the first time it seemed.

"I feel like I'm dating a teenager, what with all those music bands and movie posters on the walls…"

"Hey, I'm only a couple centuries younger than you. No big deal."

Sasuke actually laughed at this. The deep, masculine laugh and the beauty of Sasuke's rare smile warmed Naruto's heart.

"I like your bedroom," he finally said, "I'm glad to be here."

"Great," Naruto smiled, "well, I have a question. Why am I the only one naked?"

Laughing, they pulled away and Sasuke decided to give him a little show apparently. He got up and started stripping off his clothes slowly. Naruto encouraged him teasingly.

"Ah yeah, let me see those abs baby. You're so hot. Hey the pants need to go too… You're too slow. Why don't you let me help?"

Naruto almost threw himself at Sasuke and kissed him passionately as his fingers unbuttoned his pants. When they were both completely naked they fell on the bed while never letting go of each other.

Sasuke flipped them over so that he was on top, but then Naruto flipped them over again, and it started an endless battle.

"Not this again," Naruto laughed.

"Naruto I want you," Sasuke whispered in his ear while struggling to keep his position on top.

"You want me inside you?" The blonde teased. He grabbed Sasuke's hips and brought him closer, in a position suggesting that he should ride him.

"No, I… well, okay," Sasuke gave in, "but after we're doing it my way."

"Fair enough," Naruto smiled.

As Sasuke lowered himself on his big, hard cock, Naruto moaned and tilted his head back. It was different doing it like this, with Sasuke riding him. It felt so damn good and he wasn't the one doing all the work. Well, he had his hands at Sasuke's thin hips and he was helping him move while bucking his own hips back and forth a little. But mostly it was the raven moving up and down inside of him.

It felt so amazing and as Sasuke picked up the pace, Naruto wasn't sure he could last very long. He looked up and locked eyes with dark grey ones. They were so beautiful. Everything was beautiful about Sasuke.

He pulled him closer in his arms.

"I love you Sasuke," he said, panting.

Instead of replying the raven lowered himself and kissed him.

It distracted him a little and he slowed his movements. But Naruto's hands soon urged him to keep up the pace, and so he did.

A few moments later they came together and it wasn't long before Sasuke forced him to honor his part of the deal. He turned him around and kissed the smooth skin of his back.

"What are you doing?" Naruto whispered, turning his head to glance behind his shoulder at his lover.

"What does it look like?" Sasuke chuckled as he hugged his waist from behind.

He then grabbed his ass and took him rather roughly. Naruto hissed in pain and Sasuke quickly hugged him again and kissed the nape of his neck.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay… you just surprised me…"

Actually it was really painful; the vampire apparently forgot that he was human and needed to be prepared at least a little for this. But he clenched his jaw and bit back groans of pain. Suddenly though he felt Sasuke's hand grabbing his growing erection – apparently his body thought this felt good despite the pain – and stroking it skillfully. Naruto was surprised but this time it was a rather good one.

"Mm… feels good…"

Having both pleasures, Sasuke inside him and giving him a hand job at once was driving Naruto over the edge. And when Sasuke rimmed inside him harder and faster it did hurt but somehow he didn't mind. Pleasure greatly overcame pain as he hit that sensitive spot over and over, and he was desperately turning his head to look at Sasuke, and to kiss him.

His wish was granted when Sasuke slowed the pace to lean closer and kiss his lips. Naruto kissed back passionately but soon it was over and Sasuke started thrusting inside him fervently again. But Naruto didn't mind, he liked it at this point, and he didn't want it to stop.

**F & I**

Much later, they were both lying down on the bed face to face, their bodies all tangled up and their expressions dazed.

Naruto caressed the soft black hair tenderly, "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Sasuke whispered.

The blonde smiled. But suddenly he remembered something.

"Didn't you need to feed?"

"I don't want to hurt you," Sasuke said softly, "I know you don't want to admit it, but it hurts you when I bite you."

"I don't care," Naruto answered, "And by the way it hurts a lot more when you fuck me."

Perhaps he shouldn't have said that. Now Sasuke looked horrified. "Why didn't you tell me I could've just stopped…?"

Naruto interrupted him, "No, no, it's fine, forget I even said that… Just bite me now."

"…Okay," Sasuke said, making the young man laugh.

The vampire brushed aside the blonde locks and leaned closer to kiss his neck. Ever so softly he sank his fangs into Naruto's fragile skin. Since he was expecting it, it really wasn't that bad. He closed his eyes and held Sasuke tightly in his arms. No, really, it wasn't that bad at all because he loved him and he knew this was for the best.

When Sasuke stopped drinking he felt a tingling sensation, and he knew the wound was healing thanks to Sasuke's blood. Then the vampire licked his neck clean and pulled away. Naruto felt dizzy, but he forced himself to keep his eyes open. He didn't want Sasuke to feel guilty. But of course he saw through it.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"I'm just tired," Naruto reassured him. "Will you stay with me, even though it's not time for you to sleep yet?"

"Yeah," the raven rolled onto his back.

He kept Naruto in his arms, so his head was now resting on his chest. He felt a little bit cold suddenly so Sasuke held him tighter and pulled the sheet and comforter up to his shoulders. Feeling safe, Naruto drifted into a careless sleep.

**F & I**

As he woke up slowly he reached out with his arm blindly and frowned when he realized he was alone in his bed. He opened his eyes but closed them again immediately; there was way too much light. He sighed and finally managed to open his eyes and get up to close the window and curtains. Shivering, he returned to his warm bed. Sasuke had probably left during the night using the window…

He supposed he couldn't blame the vampire; there had been a few hours left of the night and he'd probably wanted to make the most of it before dawn. If that were the case, Naruto would've liked for Sasuke to at least come back to sleep with him in the morning but oh well… He'd had a bitchy boyfriend before and he didn't want to become one, so he decided he wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

When he finally gathered enough courage to get up he went directly to the bathroom to take a shower. He still had the house to himself since Kakashi was at his girlfriend's place. Yeah, it was definitely a shame that Sasuke had decided not to stay…

He took his sweet time in the shower, then got dressed in casual clothes and lazily made his way to the kitchen. Nothing like getting up late on a Saturday after a rough week at school, he thought. Of course, it would've been even better with his boyfriend… So okay maybe he would make a big deal out of it. He opened the fridge as he chuckled at his own train of thought.

Suddenly he heard his cell phone ringing and he quickly returned to his bedroom. He had the intuition it was something important. It was Shikamaru.

"Hey Shika."

"Hey. Is Sasuke with you?"

"No… why?"

"So you're alone?"

"Yeah… what's wrong?"

"What's wrong is that someone died last night at the after game party. A young girl. The body was found and she was drained of all her blood. Everyone's talking about it. A friend of Temari's told us this morning."

"Shika I know what you're thinking," Naruto said as thoughts raced in his mind, "but it can't be Sasuke. He was with me…"

"Are you sure?" Shikamaru asked fervently. "Look Naruto you're my best friend okay? I just don't want you to get hurt!"

"I…"

So easily his resolve was fading. Could it be that Sasuke hadn't drunk enough from him, and that he'd felt the urge to feed from someone else, too? Anger crept up inside him and before he knew it, he was telling Shikamaru to come over so that they could talk.

He was so nervous and confused as he waited for his friend that he wasn't able to eat. He only drank a bit of coffee and sat in the living room with one of his art history books open on the low table. But he wasn't able to focus of course, it was only to give himself the impression that he was doing something.

When the doorbell rang he almost spilled his coffee in his hurry. He went to open the door, and told his friend to come in.

Without a word Shikamaru took place in a chair in front of him.

"Do you want some coffee?" Naruto asked, but Shikamaru declined with a shake of his head.

"You didn't tell me everything, did you?" Shikamaru asked accusingly after a moment of silence. "I know you're hiding something from me."

Naruto bit his lip and glanced away, "I'm sorry. I really am. I just… didn't want you to see me as some creature or whatever."

"Don't tell me you're a vampire too?" Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"No, of course not! No I'm... something else."

"Oh God please don't tell me you're a werewolf now!"

"No damn it Shika calm down! I'm… some kind of a…" he searched for the right term to use, but they all sounded silly, so he settled for, "I can use magic. I have supernatural powers… I'm powerful enough to take down vampires. So I don't want you to worry about me, okay? If Sasuke, or any other vampire attacks me I'll totally be fine."

Except that Varin guy, he added mentally, but Shikamaru didn't need to know _that_ much.

It took some time for Shikamaru to take this new information in. He also demanded some proof. Naruto producing a fireball out of nowhere in his palm ended up being proof enough. As always though Shikamaru got over it quickly enough, and he drew a logical conclusion. One Naruto didn't like so much.

"You have to kill them."

"Shika…"

"I'm serious Naruto! You have the power to do it! They're dangerous! They kill humans. There must be a reason why you have those powers. What more explanation do you need?"

Naruto hated to admit it, but…

"I know you're right, it's just… they're my friends. Hell, Sasuke's more than a friend…"

"It must be a trick," Shikamaru protested, "so that you don't kill them. Can't you see?"

Naruto had always relied on Shikamaru in the past. He'd always been the smart one, the one who was never wrong. But this time he couldn't just obey him blindly.

"I'll talk to them. Tonight," Naruto said firmly. "And I know they'll tell me the truth about what happened to that girl. Then I'll figure out what to do."

"…All right," Shikamaru sighed and leaned back in his seat. "There's another problem, too, although much less serious I guess."

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Hinata broke up with Gaara. He's a total mess. He won't let Temari talk to him. She wants me to take him out on a guy's night to comfort him."

"She broke up? Why?"

"That's what we're gonna find out tonight I guess."

Naruto was thoughtful for a moment. He remembered Hinata telling him things weren't going too well with her boyfriend so it wasn't that much of a shock.

"We should invite him here. Kakashi's not coming back until tomorrow."

"Sounds great," Shikamaru agreed, "I don't feel like going to a restaurant or something. I'm kinda broke. I'm gonna call him. You should call Sai."

"Why?" Naruto whined.

The brunet raised a brow, "He's our friend too."

"Fine…"

So that's how, an hour later or so, Gaara and Sai joined Naruto and Shikamaru to just hang out, play video games, watch movies, eat pizza and drink beer. It was nice to have a break from Shikamaru trying to convince him to kill Sasuke and Suigetsu at least. He also appreciated that Sai was cutting back on the flirting and acting like a normal friend would.

Later in the evening – and after drinking his share of beer – it seemed Gaara was finally in a talkative mood. They stopped playing on the Xbox and instead just sat together in a circle. Gaara and Sai were smoking a joint but Shikamaru had declined as always. Surprisingly Naruto had declined as well. He wanted to cut back on the alcohol and drugs a little. With everything that was happening he needed to have a perfectly clear mind.

"She did it by text message," Gaara finally said after a whiff of marijuana.

"Ouch," Sai commented.

"Yeah…" the red-head sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"What did she say - well, write?" Shikamaru asked.

Gaara gave a half-hearted shrug. "Not much. She said she was really sorry..."

"What else?" Naruto insisted, frowning. Shikamaru and Sai glared at him but he shrugged. He wanted to know what was up with Hinata.

Gaara looked up at him with reddish eyes, "She said some usual bullshit excuse. She texted like, that she had too much stuff going on in her life. That she didn't want to hide things from me… that she didn't want me to get involved. Things like that."

"Yeah that sounds like bullshit excuse to me," Sai said as he passed the joint.

They continued talking and the conversation drifted to Sai's ex, who'd also been such a jerk when he'd broken up apparently, but Naruto wasn't listening anymore.

He knew Hinata better than any of these guys apparently, even Gaara, because he just knew she would never do such a thing as give some lame excuse for breaking up with someone she cared about. And he knew she cared about Gaara. So what was this _stuff_ going on in her life? Maybe Naruto was becoming paranoid with all the vampire stuff but how could he blame himself? Everything was going crazy in his life right now. He really hoped Hinata was all right. He'd have to talk to her soon. But not tonight. Tonight he needed to talk with Sasuke and Suigetsu. Ah man, such drama…

When Shikamaru locked eyes with him Naruto could tell he understood what he was going through – partly, anyway. So he suggested that they take things to a bar and Naruto was thankful. He declined the invitation and told the three others to have fun. Shikamaru was the last one to leave and he sent him a meaningful glance before closing the door.

Naruto sighed. Yet another confrontation with his boyfriend… Things just couldn't be simple, could they?

He closed his eyes and concentrated on his magical powers. He opened them again and he was standing in front of Sasuke's mansion. Both sport cars were in the parking so he figured the two vampires were home. Good. Taking a deep breath he walked up to the door and knocked. Sasuke opened, wearing only black sweat pants and his hair still a bit ruffled from sleep apparently.

Before he could say a word Naruto pushed him roughly. "You better not have killed anyone you bastard! I let you feed from me! There's a girl that's been bitten and drained from her blood! And you didn't even stay with me after I fell asleep! So you can't blame me for making accusations…"

"Naruto calm the fuck down!" Sasuke exclaimed, grabbing his wrists before he could push him again.

"You can't tell me to calm down okay? You give me an explanation and then maybe I'll calm down."

"It wasn't me."

His dark eyes were sincere and Naruto believed him. He didn't calm down, though.

"It's Suigetsu then. Where is he?" He pulled away from Sasuke and looked further in the long hallway. It was empty, so he made his way to the staircase.

"Naruto stop!" Sasuke exclaimed as he followed him.

But Naruto ran up the stairs quickly and found Suigetsu as he walked out of the bathroom with only a towel hanging on his hips.

"Oh hey Naruto what's up?"

"Give me one reason not to kill you," Naruto growled as he pushed him against the wall.

"What the hell? If this is about that girl…"

"So you admit it?" Naruto said angrily.

He raised his fist and flames surrounded it, surrounded his entire arm actually, making Suigetsu's eyes go wide in fear. Naruto was about to punch him but Sasuke grabbed his arm and yanked him away.

"Sasuke!" He protested, confused, "I can't just let it go… I don't want anyone to die!"

"It wasn't him either!" Sasuke shouted as he stepped away and held his burned hand in pain.

The flames died. Naruto felt a pang of guilt at hurting his boyfriend but now he was just utterly confused. Then suddenly he heard feminine voices coming from the bathroom, and the next instant two girls walked out. Just like Suigetsu, they only wore towels to cover their bodies. One had olive skin and long dark brown hair, and the other was a pale blonde with blue eyes.

"What the hell is going on here?" He asked.

"Ah, you must be Naruto," the brunette said with a Spanish accent. "You were right Suigetsu, he's quite handsome."

"Naruto," Suigetsu said, still somewhat freaked out, "this is Ino," he pointed at the blonde, "and this is Sophia. They're gonna stay in town for a little while."

"I'm sorry about that girl," Sophia said, "I was really thirsty. Was she a friend of yours?"

Naruto clenched his fists, "Suigetsu I don't care if she's your girlfriend, I'm gonna kill her."

Sophia stepped back in fear. Ino stepped in front of her protectively.

"Look," Suigetsu said, "let's calm down, okay?"

"No!" Naruto protested, "I can't let things like that happen and just do nothing about it!"

"Naruto…" Sasuke said and the blonde male turned to look at him. "To be honest I don't care about her and I won't hate you if you kill her. But Suigetsu will and that might be annoying… Anyway, last night she'd just gotten here and she didn't know any better. Suigetsu called me for help but it was too late to save the girl and besides, the cops were already on the scene. We told them," he pointed at the girls, "that they had to stay away from humans, during their stay here at least."

"It's true," Ino exclaimed, "And we promise we won't hurt any humans."

"Last night was a mistake," Sophia said, "I'm really sorry."

"No you're not," Naruto replied, "you just don't want me to kill you." What did they take him for, a complete idiot?

Suigetsu laughed nervously, "Uh… girls… why don't we leave Sasuke and Naruto alone for a moment?"

He led them to the guest room he was using and they closed the door. Naruto slowly turned to look at Sasuke. His anger had faded mostly, replaced by guilt.

"I'm sorry I doubted you… Sasuke? Oh shit, your arm..."

The skin on his hand and forearm was all burned, and it wasn't healing. No wonder why they were all so scared of his powers. They really were deadly.

"I guess I'd better be more careful and control myself huh?" He said, swallowing hard.

"It seems injuries from your magic can't be healed," Sasuke said as he leaned against the wall, clearly in pain, and nursing his arm.

Naruto stepped closer, "What? No… that's impossible. There must be a way."

"With a spell, probably…"

He frowned, "I don't know any spells."

"Just… try something?" Sasuke suggested as he looked up at him. His eyes were teary and he seemed in so much pain.

Naruto bit his lip, "All right."

As always, he just followed his instincts when it came to magic. He concentrated, channeling this strange energy inside of him that had become so familiar now. Narrowing his deep blue eyes he placed his hand above Sasuke's burned arm and at some point the skin started healing very quickly. Naruto was breathing heavily afterwards, but he was so glad that he smiled and wrapped his arms around Sasuke.

"I did it!"

"Thank you," Sasuke said as he held him back, "you're really amazing."

"Well it was the least I could do," Naruto said, pulling away slightly so he could look at his face, "again, I'm sorry for doubting you. Am I forgiven?"

Sasuke tilted his head to the side, "Mm… make it up to me?"

**TBC**

A/N: I hope you liked it, much more to come. I love you guys for reading, and reviewing, keep them coming ; )


	14. An immortal hatred

**14. An immortal hatred**

After a passionate night spent in the arms of none other than his very hot blond boyfriend, Sasuke was exhausted.

"How can _you_ tire me out?" He asked Naruto, amused, as they lay down together on the bed. "I'm the supernatural being here. You should be begging me to stop."

Naruto smirked as he caressed the smooth, cool skin of Sasuke's back lazily, "I'd never do such a thing. You know I can't get enough of you. And yeah I'm tired but… I'd stay awake by sheer will just to make love to you again."

"Oh really?" Sasuke returned the smirk as he lowered his hand dangerously close to Naruto's dick.

"Hmm… yeah…" Naruto moaned.

Sasuke let his fingers wander towards Naruto's entrance to tease him.

"I'm… kinda sore though."

"And that's one of the many downsides of being human," Sasuke smirked, "don't you want to become a vampire, so you can recover in no time?"

"Although that sounds tempting, no," Naruto replied teasingly, "but since I'm sore and you're not, that means I'm the one who's on top."

"Again," Sasuke made a face.

"Oh stop. You know you love it."

"But I like being inside you," he purred, reaching with his hand to run his fingers through Naruto's hair.

He smirked and lowered himself to kiss Sasuke's toned chest and abs, and when he reached even lower he teased him by trailing butterfly kisses on every inch of skin, all around his cock.

Sasuke whispered his name and Naruto felt incredibly turned on.

"So… don't you want me to stay human… so that I can do this?" Naruto asked right before taking Sasuke's cock in his mouth.

"Ah… fuck… that feels so good… well, you can… but… you just have to be careful… cause of these," he parted his lips deliberately showing his fangs.

Naruto looked up and leaned closer to kiss those irresistible flushed lips.

"I love your fangs. They're cute. I don't care if you can't give me blow jobs."

"Cute?" Sasuke chuckled, "They're a deadly weapon, you idiot. And you are such a liar. I'm sure you want one so bad."

He flipped them over so that he could give it a try. Naruto asked if he was sure it was really okay but Sasuke ignored it. He was extremely careful though as he engulfed Naruto's erect member in his mouth. At some point one of his sharp teeth cut the sensitive skin and he hissed in pain.

Sasuke pulled away and looked up at him, "I'm sorry."

Naruto blushed, "Ah, that's okay, it did hurt but I kinda liked it…"

"Masochistic much?" Sasuke smiled.

He had an idea. He sank his fangs through his own tongue and licked the small cut. His blood healed it and Naruto shivered violently. But it wasn't from the cold it was… desire. Sasuke looked up at his beautiful face, intrigued.

"Oh God Sasuke…" he whispered, "that kinda felt really… really good."

Sasuke smirked. He continued the blow job and whenever there were little cuts or scratches he would use his blood to heal it, and Naruto was trembling and writhing under him. He loved having him vulnerable and at his mercy like that.

"This is so fucking amazing," Naruto exclaimed, fisting the sheets.

He came soon after and he pulled Sasuke close so he could hold him tight.

"I've never felt anything like it before," he said, "it felt amazing… when you heal my skin with your blood it always tingles and it's kinda weird but nice. But when you do it down there it's just… holy shit I loved it!"

"I'm glad," Sasuke said before kissing him.

"My turn," Naruto said when they pulled away.

After Naruto was done they took things to the bathroom, where they took a shower together. Then they returned to the bedroom to go to bed. Dawn was near already so Sasuke fell asleep pretty quickly. In Naruto's arms… and damn could he get used to that.

When he woke up though Naruto was gone. But he couldn't really blame him, after all humans didn't usually sleep all day, and besides Sasuke had done the same thing on a previous night.

He got up and went to stand by the window, peeking through the blinds at the beautiful view of the sunset over the ocean. He heard faint voices from the guest room and he focused, using his supernatural enhanced sense.

"That Naruto guy's such a pain in the ass, honestly," Ino was saying.

"Yeah I was really excited to have a new hunting territory," Sophia added.

"You're acting like spoiled bitches," Suigetsu replied. This made Sasuke smile.

Sophia said, "Speaking of which, can I have one of your credit cards for tonight? I wanna go shopping…"

Deeming the conversation completely uninteresting Sasuke stopped listening. He wasn't too thrilled to have these two new guests in his house but Suigetsu had promised it was only for a few days.

Sasuke got dressed quickly and headed out. Maybe he could see Naruto before he went to sleep – and before another crazy week of school started for him. As he drove in the evening traffic all the way to Naruto's house he really missed the blonde's magical powers. Teleporting sure was convenient. But he finally parked in the entryway and made his way to the door. Naruto's adoptive father opened it.

"Oh, hi, um, is Naruto here?"

"Yeah he's in his bedroom," the man nodded, "well I think we've never been officially introduced. I'm Kakashi."

"Sasuke," he replied. They didn't shake hands.

"I know. I also know what you are, Naruto told me everything," he said calmly as he let Sasuke inside. "My best friend was Naruto's mother, and she's been killed by others like you. So let me make this perfectly clear. I don't trust you."

"Are you done now?" Sasuke said, using a very calm tone as well.

The man tried not to let it show but he was clearly pissed off by his attitude. Sasuke made a little smile just to piss him off even more, and then walked up the stairs to Naruto's bedroom.

The blonde was lying down on his bed with his sketch book open in front of him. Sasuke went to sit next to him.

"Can't get enough of me," Naruto said as he turned his head to look at him.

Sasuke smiled and bent over to kiss his lips, "Guilty as charged. What are you doing?"

Naruto chuckled, "I guess I can't get enough of you either. I'm drawing you instead of doing my assignments," he admitted.

A small smile lingered on the raven's lips as he looked over Naruto's shoulder at the sketchbook. The blonde flipped the pages and showed him the very first drawing he had made of him. Their first date. He'd even drawn the rose and every other detail.

"You're so talented."

"Thank you... you're sweet. Hey Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

"How long are the two girls gonna stay?"

He sighed, "Not too long I hope."

Naruto shifted and sat beside him cross-legged. Sasuke reached out and took the sketchbook to continue looking through it.

"If they kill someone else I'll kill them," Naruto said at some point.

Sasuke looked up to lock eyes with him. He nodded, "Fair enough."

"You really don't care about them do you?"

"Nah… they're Suigetsu's friends. Well… wives, actually."

"What the hell?" Naruto burst out laughing, "He's actually married to them both?"

"Yeah they did it just for fun," Sasuke gave a slight shrug, "Suigetsu even wanted me to marry him too."

"No way you're mine!" Naruto exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around his waist, making Sasuke smile.

"So what did you do today?" He asked, changing the subject.

Naruto pulled away and glanced down, frowning. "I went to talk with Hinata… Sasuke I don't want to keep any secrets from you, so I'll tell you. Hinata broke up with her boyfriend, and he said the reason she gave was that she had too much shit going on in her life and that she didn't want to involve him."

"So…" Sasuke frowned, "you're telling me this because…?"

"Well… I don't know I got the feeling she knows about vampires but, when I talked to her today, she wouldn't tell me anything."

"What makes you think that?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto seemed troubled and confused so Sasuke decided he wanted to help him clear his mind. He placed his hand on his shoulder comfortingly and moved it to the back of his neck, doing some sort of massage. Naruto half-closed his eyes and tilted his head back a little.

"I don't know… I just asked to know the real reason why she broke up with Gaara. And I told her she could tell me anything. She looked like she wanted to tell me a secret, something important but she just couldn't… I mean I can't be the only one who knows about these things, right?"

Sasuke's hand stopped moving and he tensed.

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

The raven looked up at him and bit his lip slightly. "D'you think… she could be under compulsion?"

"I don't know you're the expert here," Naruto replied. "But if I had to take a guess I'd say no. She looked… scared. I don't know what I should do. I mean I'm really not sure so I don't want to tell her about this stuff myself. If I've got it all wrong I'll just freak her the hell out."

Sasuke pulled him close and nuzzled his soft messy hair. He lowered his voice and used what he hoped was a comforting enough tone.

"Don't worry, just be there for her, and I'm sure she'll tell you everything eventually. There's something special about you; you just inspire trust. I told you all my secrets pretty fast, didn't I?"

"Mm I guess you're right," Naruto said as he held him back. "I'm glad you did, by the way. Now I can make plans to kill Varin and Sakura when I see them."

Sasuke pulled away, and his dark eyes were wide and confused as he stared at Naruto. Was he kidding? He certainly hoped so…

"Naruto you can't…"

"Relax, relax, I know my powers won't be of any use against him. But hey, maybe I can borrow some money from Kakashi and invest in a good machine gun or something… You could be the one to shoot him, that would be good therapy for you."

Sasuke couldn't help but smile. He pushed Naruto on the bed and loomed over him.

"You're insane," he whispered.

As a reply Naruto simply kissed him. It soon got more passionate as it always did between them. Naruto rolled them over, dominating the kiss – for now.

"You know," Sasuke breathed against his lips when he pulled away, "it was like this between us from the very first time I met you."

"When you tried to kill me?" Naruto teased him as he lowered himself slightly to kiss his neck.

Sasuke tilted his head back and moaned, "I mean, when we kissed. You were trying to like, dominate me. I don't know how else to explain it. I remember thinking, what the hell does he think he's doing?"

The blonde laughed softly, breathing hotly into Sasuke's neck, making him tremble in desire.

"That's what I was used to before meeting you. I mean have you seen my ex?"

"Yeah," Sasuke admitted, "seems like the submissive type. Why did you break up anyway?"

He was suddenly curious, and wanted to know more about Naruto's past relationships. The latter pulled away slightly, placing his hands on either side of Sasuke.

"He was too… possessive, and jealous. If I just _talked_ to my friend Sai, Jey wouldn't speak to me for days. We were always fighting for the stupidest things… You know," Naruto gave a slight shrug.

Sasuke slowly slid his hands around Naruto's thin waist and pulled him close again. "Well… I'm glad you're no longer with him, or I'd have to kill him."

He had meant it as a joke, but Naruto tensed and frowned. "It's not funny. I had a nightmare the other day and in it you killed Sai and Jey."

"What? You're serious?" Sasuke frowned and pulled away completely, so that they could sit in front of each other.

"It was just a dream," Naruto replied, averting his eyes.

The raven leaned a little closer and cupped his chin to look into his beautiful blue eyes. "Naruto I'd never do anything to hurt the people you care about, cause I know that'd hurt you. I promise."

The blonde threw himself in his arms and held him tight, "I know… I'm sorry…"

"Guess I'll just have to earn your trust," Sasuke sighed.

"I trust you," Naruto insisted, "it was just a stupid dream."

"Well then promise me something too, so that we can trust each other completely."

"What?" Naruto pulled away slightly and turned his head to meet his eyes.

Sasuke ran his fingers through messy blonde locks tenderly, placing a few strands behind his ear.

"It's about Suigetsu, actually. I know he can be stupid sometimes and that you don't trust him. But if he ever does something to piss you off, and you want to make him pay or even kill him, I want you to promise me to talk to me first."

Naruto nodded slowly, "All right I promise. And I'm sorry about burning your arm when you had to stop me."

"Hey you healed me right after. It's all good."

"Well I'll admit," Naruto glanced away, "that I'm a little jealous. You care about him so much."

"Hey," Sasuke said softly, "I care about him the same way you care about your friends, all right? You're the one I love."

Naruto's smile returned, "I love you too."

Still in each other's arms they lay down on the unmade bed. Naruto looked really tired so Sasuke simply held him and caressed his hair softly.

"Sasuke tell me something in Japanese."

"Nande?" He said teasingly.

"Cause I like it. And besides, the rest of my family probably lives in Japan. What if my sister only speaks Japanese? You should teach me. I want to be able to talk to her."

"You worry too much. And I don't think I'd be a very good teacher. I'm worried about developing a teacher student relationship."

"I think it's already too late for that," Naruto chuckled.

Sasuke just smiled and kissed him.

Naruto looked really tired, and he closed his eyes as he pressed himself closer.

Sasuke said, "Oyasumi, ii yume mitene."

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked softly.

"Sweet dreams. No more nightmares about me murdering your friends all right?"

"You're an idiot. But yeah… all right…"

As Naruto drifted into sleep Sasuke simply continued caressing his hair and watched his beautiful relaxed face. After a few minutes he kissed his forehead and slowly pulled away, careful not to wake him up.

He wasn't particularly eager to have another chat with Kakashi so he used the window, jumping and landing graciously. He made his way to his car and drove away in the night.

Back home, Sasuke spent the rest of the night drawing actually, and looking at all of his old sketchbooks. Seeing Naruto draw had given him motivation to do this himself. It had always been a relaxing activity to him, and right now he felt inspired. He drew Naruto, of course.

Two hours or so before dawn, he felt a presence in the room. He stopped drawing but he didn't turn around.

The female vampire looked over his shoulder at the drawing in progress. It was almost finished. It represented Naruto with powerful, deathly flames all around him. Sasuke secretly enjoyed the whole mortal enemies aspect of their relationship – it was kinda sexy.

"Woah, scary…" she eventually said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and finally turned to look at her. "What do you want Ino?"

She snorted, and went to sit on his bed, "In all those years you haven't changed one bit. You're still such a jerk. When Naruto threatened Sophia all you could say was, oh believe me I don't give a shit if that bitch dies…"

"Those weren't my exact words."

"Whatever," she flipped her long blonde hair behind her shoulders and glared at him, "I'm sure you see my point."

"I don't even know her," Sasuke argued.

"You would've said the same thing about me, wouldn't you? And we've known each other for a long time."

Sasuke didn't deny it. She didn't look angry though, just annoyed. It was true; they had known each other since they had arrived in America with Suigetsu. They'd met Ino in New York, and she'd fallen in love with Sasuke back then – or so she used to say anyway. If Sasuke asked her now she'd probably deny it. In the end Sasuke had chosen to live a lonely existence while Suigetsu had stayed with Ino.

"Anyway," she said, "do tell your new boyfriend to stay away from me, cause you owe me Sasuke."

"I owe you?" He arched a fine eyebrow.

"Yes," she said firmly, crossing her legs in a seductive manner. No matter who she was with, Ino always acted flirty.

"Enlighten me?"

"Back in Europe I went on a trip to Roma with a friend. I met an old acquaintance of yours there. When he realized I knew you, he was very much insistant on having some news."

Sasuke froze and his heart skipped a beat.

"I should probably enjoy this moment," she smiled cruelly, "after all, I don't get to see your vulnerable side very often."

"Just spit it out already, Ino," he tried to control the trembling in his voice.

"Relax," she said, "I gave him false information. I told him that from what I knew you'd returned to Japan a while ago."

"And he bought it?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm older than you, remember? No vampires can compel me. Not even one as powerful as Varin."

Sasuke flinched at the name and Ino's expression softened when she noticed this. She got up and went to stand by the window, crossing her arms.

"He was actually very charming," she went on, "that female companion of his – Sakura was her name I think – she's a real bitch though."

Sasuke couldn't help but shudder in disgust. He wasn't usually very emotional, but it would make him ecstatic if those two were to just die in the most horrifying way…

"There's another one too," Ino said, "His name is Neji. He's really young and he's kinda cute."

Sasuke looked up, "You're telling me there's a guy actually… living with them of his own free will?"

"You heard me," she shrugged, "Anyway don't worry. He thinks you're in Japan. He'll never find you. The only other vampire who knew of your current location was Orochimaru, right? Suigetsu told me he was dead, so there's no need for you to worry."

"Did he say…" Sasuke swallowed hard, "did he say what he wanted from me?"

She chuckled bitterly, "Revenge. What else?"

"How convenient. I also want revenge from him," he said darkly.

"But he's too powerful so you choose hiding," she said in understanding. "He sees you as an ungrateful child. Since he gave you eternal life, he expects your eternal devotion," she explained, "he's fucked up like that."

"Oh trust me. I know perfectly well just how fucked up he is."

"Anyway, you owe me. I risked my life when I lied to him."

Sasuke nodded, "Thanks I guess," he forced himself to say.

She nodded back, and left the room, leaving him alone with his troubled thoughts.

Japan, huh? He'd promised to go to Japan with Naruto… But he was filled with dread at the mere thought of being close to Varin. It wasn't Ino's fault, she didn't know. Now Sasuke really didn't know what to do anymore…

* * *

><p>Did you like it, did you hate it? Let me know. Look, I got a few reviews, questioning this story, and... I know it has flaws. It's really not perfect. Maybe it didn't make a lot of sense... I wrote this a while ago. Now recently I've decided to try to improve and finish it. So if you give me a chance, you might enjoy it.<p> 


	15. Turning point

**15. Turning point**

"I don't like him," Kakashi repeated for the hundredth time, making his adoptive son sigh.

He had told Naruto of his brief exchange with the vampire, and the blonde couldn't help but think, would it have killed Sasuke to try to be a little nicer?

But he didn't have time to try to change Kakashi's opinion. He was late for school.

"We'll talk about it later all right?" He said, walking out the door before Kakashi could protest. He had a rather bad influence and didn't consider being late as a big deal.

Naruto went through his classes doing his best and working hard but he just wasn't really into it. His thoughts kept racing back to Hinata. Something just seemed off about the way she had avoided his questions the day before. It just wasn't like her to do such a thing.

So after his last class in the afternoon he decided to call her. He got no answer. He sighed and went to his favorite coffee shop as usual to advance some of his homework.

The sky got darker and a bad feeling crept up inside Naruto. He looked out the window, frowning. It wasn't just because of Hinata. He felt like maybe he would regret letting the girls live. What if they continued murdering humans despite his warnings? He trusted Sasuke, and Suigetsu, to some extent, but those two girls he just couldn't.

He tried to get some more work done but he just couldn't concentrate at all. He closed his books in frustration and tried to call Hinata again. Still nothing. He sighed and ran his fingers through his messy blond hair. He decided to go to her house to see if she was okay.

As Naruto walked in the cold, foggy weather he shoved his hands in his leather jacket pockets. He was wary of his surroundings because night was about to fall. Due to the recent events, he always kept up his guard, and for a reason. Thankfully though, nothing out of the ordinary happened and he got to the Hyuga residence safely.

But he stopped short when he realized the black-haired girl was standing on the porch, talking on her cell phone, tears in her eyes. She looked upset about something. Naruto stayed hidden behind the trees of the neighboring house, although he didn't really know why. She was her friend and he shouldn't be spying on her, and yet…

"But Neji, I already told you everything I know," she sighed shakily through the phone, eyes looking downward, "I've only met Sasuke once – and barely… What do you want me to say?"

Naruto's blood froze in his veins. Sasuke? Why was she talking about Sasuke? Who was that Neji person? And why were they after Sasuke? He almost came out of his hiding place to rush over to her and demand answers. But instead he forced himself to calm down, and listened to the rest of her phone call.

"…Yes I'm sure," she was saying now, "he fits the description you gave me." There was a pause during which she just listened, a worried, frightened look on her pretty face, then she said, "Yes. I think they're pretty serious."

Naruto frowned; was she talking about him now? About his relationship with the raven-haired vampire? Who the hell was she talking to anyway? Now that he thought about it, the name Neji was familiar.

"So you're really coming here?" Hinata suddenly exclaimed in a little voice, "But… my father…" She interrupted herself, just listening. She shivered as the cold wind blew in her hair. Then she nodded, "Okay, I understand. I'll do my best. I'll see you soon then."

As soon as she hung up, Naruto stepped away from behind the trees and hastily walked over to her. She jumped out of her skin when she saw him. She wiped the corner of her eye nervously.

"N-Naruto? W-What are you d-doing here?" Hinata stuttered.

"You haven't been answering my calls. I wanted to know if you were okay. Then I heard you talking about my boyfriend... Hinata what the hell's going on?"

She glanced warily behind her then took a deep breath and took Naruto's arm. "I don't want my father to see us. Come on…"

They walked together on the sidewalk. She let go of his arm and crossed her arms on her chest tightly. Naruto kept glancing down at her, waiting to hear her talk.

"You remember my cousin Neji? He used to live with us. I think he left before we started dating though…"

He remembered now, though vaguely. "You told me he went to study in Europe."

"In Italy," she specified and Naruto started feeling uneasy.

"And he never came back?"

They stopped at a street corner and spotted a bench. In a silent agreement they sat together to continue talking.

"No," Hinata said in a little voice, "but he's been calling me every week."

"Why?"

"To check up on me and… have updates… on you and…"

He cut her, "On me? Why would he want to know about me?"

She breathed heavily, averting her eyes. Naruto was concerned all of a sudden. He didn't want her to have a panic attack. He placed a comforting hand on her back.

"Hey, it's okay. Just take your time, and you can tell me everything."

"Naruto… y-your boyfriend… Sasuke he's… not normal."

"I already know," he said calmly and she looked up with wide pale eyes.

"You do?"

He just nodded. A weight seemed to be lifted off her shoulders and she sighed.

"Oh… so then that means… you've… found out about yourself to?"

"Yeah. Now you have to tell me what _you_ know. Please."

"Well… my cousin… he became one of them too. And the guy who changed him wants information on the Uzumaki family. That's why Neji's been calling me. And he also told me to always keep an eye open in case I met a guy named Sasuke…"

Naruto's heart sank, "What's his name? The guy who changed your cousin?"

"Varin."

"You've got to be joking," he sighed shakily and pressed his hand to his temple, even though by now he'd been expecting it. Then he remembered the last part of her phone conversation and freaked out, "And he's coming here?"

Hinata shifted uneasily, still averting her eyes from his deep blue gaze, "Yeah…" she whispered in a frightened voice.

"Fuck…"

"So you know what he's after?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He exclaimed, "He's after Sasuke. And I can't even protect him!"

She nodded sadly, "I figured that much after what Neji's been telling me all those years…"

He suddenly grabbed her thin shoulders harshly, "But Hinata, why did you have to tell him the truth? You don't care what happens to me? Cause I can understand if you don't give a shit about Sasuke. But I love him! If Varin's after him then I'll be hurt, maybe even killed too! Didn't you think about that?"

She started crying, "O-Of course! I'm s-so sorry Naruto! But I can't lie to him! Even over the phone, he'd know. And if I just hung up he'd know I was hiding something. They would've come here anyway to find out what I was hiding!"

"Okay, okay, just calm down," he let go of her and took a few deep breaths, "I need to think… _When_ are they coming here?"

"He said in two or three weeks, tops."

At least that gave them some time.

Hinata continued, "They're gonna stay in some five star hotel – Neji can't be seen by my father; he thinks he's dead. He came up with an elaborate plan a few years ago to fake his death. There was even a fake burial and everything. I'm the only one who knows what really happened."

The blonde nodded thoughtfully. He squeezed Hinata's shoulder gently and then got up to his feet. "I need to go talk to Sasuke. Thanks for telling me the truth Hinata. But what's gonna happen to you if Neji finds out about this?"

She stood next to him and shrugged as they started walking, "I'll tell him you found out by spying on me."

"And it won't even be a lie."

"Exactly," she made a little smile. Despite being obviously scared by all this, she was being very strong and brave. More seriously, she added, "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"Same here," he smiled back.

They parted ways, Hinata heading back home, and Naruto finding an empty alleyway to use his powers and teleport himself in front of Sasuke's mansion. He felt exhausted afterwards, but this was important. Cold rain started falling lightly in the foggy night, and he shivered before making his way inside. The door wasn't locked.

Ignoring Suigetsu and his stupid girlfriends or wives or whatever, Naruto made his way upstairs. The three were having a private little party around Sasuke's mini bar, apparently, and the silver-haired vampire called his name but the blonde really couldn't care less.

When he entered Sasuke's bedroom, Naruto was surprised to find him sitting in the middle of his large bed, wearing just black silk pants and hugging his knees while staring at nothing in particular. In other words, he was completely out of it. The window was slightly opened and some cold wind and rain flooded inside. Naruto shivered as he reached out to touch Sasuke's cold pale arm. No reaction. He whispered his name. Still nothing.

"Sasuke," he said more loudly, while squeezing his arm. "Sasuke look at me. You're freaking me out!"

Slowly dark orbs looked upwards and met Naruto's pleading blue eyes. Sasuke finally snapped out of it. He got up and faced the blonde.

"We can't go to Japan," he whispered fervently, "I'm so sorry, I know I promised, but…"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, confused.

Sasuke took his hands and looked at him sadly, "I keep up an act Naruto. I pretend I'm bad ass. But I'm just a fucking coward, always hiding. Ino met Varin back in Europe. She wanted to give him a false lead so she told him I was in Japan." His voice was a mere whisper as he added, "And the truth is… I'm fucking scared."

Naruto squeezed his hand in a comforting manner but he was a little confused. His gaze drifted to the window and he frowned.

"Sasuke I talked with Hinata earlier. Turns out her cousin Neji is Varin's new bff and with Hinata they've been keeping in touch. Long story short, Varin knows you're not in Japan. He's coming here."

Suddenly Sasuke's face was even paler, his skin even colder. He was like completely frozen. Naruto's heart sank at seeing him like this. After spending his whole existence being tortured by Varin, then running away from him, Sasuke's reaction was totally understandable. Naruto let out a shaky sigh as he slowly slid his arms around the raven's small, bare waist. He caressed his smooth back with his warm hands as Sasuke buried his face in his neck. Trembling pale hands eventually held him back.

"I knew I couldn't escape forever…"

"Don't say that," Naruto frowned, "we'll figure something out. Actually I was thinking… we should go to Japan right now." They pulled away slightly to look into each other's eyes. Naruto continued, "And since Ino used that as false information he's not gonna think of there first when he figures out we're not here."

"We?" Sasuke whispered, "You mean he's after the both of us?"

Naruto held his cheek with one hand and wiped the bloody tear slowly falling from his eye. Sasuke wasn't himself right now and it pained him. Still, he told him the truth.

"From what Hinata told me, yeah."

Sasuke shuddered and held him tight again, entangling one pale hand in blonde locks.

"I'll… I'll protect you. I won't let anything happen to you…" he said in a strangled voice.

"Sasuke," he sighed, "look at yourself. You're a mess. You say you'll protect me but you can't even protect yourself. Let's go to Japan, let's find my family. I'm sure they can help us."

They slowly pulled away completely and Sasuke sat on the bed, looking down. Naruto eventually sat next to him – close but not touching. He couldn't help but think, if it weren't from the deadly fangs, and the depth of his onyx eyes, Sasuke would look very much like a frightened teenager right now, so small, so vulnerable.

"You wanted to wait 'til the end of the semester."

Naruto chuckled bitterly, "I think saving our lives is more important than me continuing to pretend I can be a successful artist or actor or whatever."

"You could be," the vampire said sincerely, glancing at him sideways, "don't you miss your normal life, Naruto?"

He shook his head slightly, and leaned closer. Again he held Sasuke's cheek with one hand tenderly, "I do, but I love _you_ more than I miss it."

They kissed. It was soft and affectionate. Naruto closed his eyes as he reveled in Sasuke's sweet taste, and the velvety touch of his pale, full lips.

When they broke the kiss, the raven whispered, "I love you too, I didn't think I could ever love someone again but I do."

There was a moment of silence, and there was no need for words anyway. They were just together, sitting, holding each other.

Naruto broke the silence to ask, "Does this mean I can start planning our trip?"

A rare smile spread on Sasuke's lips, "Yeah."

"All right," the blonde got up, "I need my laptop. I'm pretty sure I can plan everything online. We need to leave as soon as possible. You have enough money?"

Sasuke just nodded.

"Is it stolen?"

The raven hesitated.

"Never mind. I don't wanna know. Okay…" Naruto channeled his energy and visualized his bedroom. "I'll be back soon," he said simply before disappearing. There was no time to lose.

**F & I**

Sasuke crashed the little party. He turned off the music, grabbed the alcohol and put it all back in the mini bar. He glared at the two girls then stared at Suigetsu.

"Pack up your stuff, all of you. I'm leaving with Naruto and no one's staying here while I'm gone. Suigetsu I'm gonna need one of your fake ids."

"What's the rush?" The Spanish girl pouted, "We were having fun…"

"Yeah we just got here," Ino shrugged, "and remember, you owe me…"

"Shut the fuck up both of you," Suigetsu said, "if Sasuke says we're out then we're out. You wanted to go to L.A. right? Go pack up your things and we can be gone by the end of the night."

The girls became very cooperative and enthusiastic as soon as they heard L.A. so they ran upstairs, leaving Suigetsu alone to talk with his friend. He was understandably confused, so Sasuke sighed and begun explaining the whole situation.

"I knew there was something up with that Hinata girl," Suigetsu interrupted at some point, "the way she was staring at you after Naruto told her your name… she was totally freaking out."

"I mean what are the odds that her cousin is Varin's new companion," Sasuke said in a low voice, pressing his hand to his painful head, "I can't believe it."

"You've been lucky enough to successfully hide from him all those years buddy," Suigetsu said sadly as he put his hand on his shoulder, "can't last forever. Besides it's a small price to pay for meeting someone as great as Naruto right?"

"I guess you're right."

They leaned onto the kitchen counter, standing next to each other, thoughtful.

"I'm a little jealous, to tell you the truth," Suigetsu was talking in Japanese now. His voice was low and slightly teasing.

Sasuke also answered in their language, "I don't know how long it's gonna last. I don't think he wants to become a vampire. And imagine he finds his family… it'll be even harder for him to give that up. He'll want a normal life, without me."

"I can tell he's really feeling for you though…"

"Those kinds of feelings are fragile."

"Give him more credit," Suigetsu gave a slight shrug, looking at his old friend sideways, "that guy has a pure, unique soul."

"What does that mean anyway?"

"Means he's no normal human."

Sasuke made a little smile, "Yeah… you're probably right."

"I'm always right."

**F & I**

Naruto ended up falling asleep on his desk, in front of his laptop. After using his powers for teleporting the second time that evening he lacked energy to remain conscious. He really needed to stop using them so much. Still, before falling asleep he'd had time to text the flight information to Sasuke. He wanted to leave the very next day, without telling anyone. It was for the best. If his friends were by any chance interrogated, well they wouldn't even need to lie, they just wouldn't know anything.

At some point he woke up because he was too uncomfortable. His back and neck hurt. It was the middle of the night. He sighed and browsed the web some more, looking up all the information he'd need to know about Osaka. He wanted to start looking there since it was where his family used to live according to Kakashi. Maybe Sasuke could compel a skilled computer person to look up their names once they were there. Having Sasuke with him was the greatest help he could possibly get. Not only could he compel people but well, he actually spoke the language.

The blonde was way too tired so he got up, only to crash on his messy bed and get some more rest. His dreams were agitated that night, yet blurry. He dreamed that Varin was in Japan after all, practically waiting for them at the airport. He dreamed that Sasuke was dead. That his family was nowhere to be found. All of his insecurities haunted him. Still, in the morning his resolve and determination hadn't faded one bit.

He took a shower to clear his thoughts and he skipped class to pack all the things he would need in his black suitcase. He'd miss school, he now realized, but he could always go back later. He did miss his normal life, like Sasuke had said. But there was no going back.

Kakashi was at work. Naruto decided he'd just leave him a note. It was for the best.

**F & I**

The airport was really crowded and busy. People everywhere, some of them in a hurry, stressed out, others calm, either arriving, or leaving. Flights being announced one after the other, and it would be Naruto's flight soon. He'd already passed all the security measures. He was waiting for Sasuke. He was late.

Naruto was starting to worry. What if Sasuke had decided to ditch him after all? What if he'd decided to just take his car and drive somewhere, go to L.A. with the three other vampires, or go wherever else…? What if Naruto ended up being stuck in a country he didn't know all alone? What if his family wasn't even anywhere to be found?

And here he was, anxious, by himself, sitting in an uncomfortable chair and waiting for a stupid vampire, hoping the flight wouldn't be announced just yet. They'd seen each other a few hours ago, but Sasuke had told him there were things he needed to do before meeting him at the airport. What things? What the hell could be more important than this? After all, Naruto was mostly rushing this trip to save Sasuke's life.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, until he finally saw him. And all his worries disappeared. The raven had stylish sunglasses on top of his head, and he had black gloves and closed umbrella in hand. He wore a long sleeve black shirt with stylish navy jeans and fancy black shoes. He had a normal sized gray suitcase with wheels. He approached and let himself fall on the seat next to Naruto; he looked exhausted.

"Stupid sun," he growled in a low voice, and Naruto understood why he'd needed the umbrella.

"If you'd come with me here earlier it wouldn't have been a problem you know."

"I know but… I told you I needed to take care of some things… I sold my car in a record time," he explained, "got shit loads of cash. I'll change it in yen when we get there… I could've just stolen the money like I used to but I knew you wouldn't like that," he gave a slight shrug, glancing at his boyfriend sideways.

Naruto couldn't help but smile. He placed one arm around Sasuke's thin shoulders and pulled him close briefly.

"Thank you." Then he realized what Sasuke had just said, and his eyes widened, "Wait… you sold your car? But I loved that car!"

Sasuke chuckled, "We'll get a new one."

"I want a Lamborghini."

"Um… Naruto you don't want me to steal money but… you want me to get a five hundred thousand dollars car."

He shook his head, chuckling, "Sorry I'm tired."

"Yeah me too. Anyway, I also borrowed one of Suigetsu's fake ids, he used it back when he still had his black hair so it worked. Then I convinced him to let me keep his credit card. He's got tons of other ones so it's not a big deal. The limit's pretty good. He told me to pay him back someday. I guess it was his way of telling me to come back alive from all this…"

Naruto pressed himself closer uncaring that he was sort of sitting in between two seats, and it wasn't so comfortable. He just wanted to hold Sasuke. He whispered in his ear, "We'll be just fine… we've got each other's back."

Sasuke closed his eyes briefly as he turned his head to give him a sweet kiss. Naruto just smiled, and pressed their foreheads together.

"I'm glad you're coming with me."

"Me too," the raven said.

"Hey… if you sold your car… but… wasn't it stolen in the first place?" Naruto lowered his voice.

"Yeah. I told the guy I'd give him the papers and all when I came back from my vacation. He bought it, that moron, can you believe it?"

"You're such a monster! How is that supposed to make me feel better? Now some poor guy's probably gonna end up in jail because of you!"

"Oh. Guess I hadn't thought of that…"

"You're such an idiot," Naruto said but he couldn't bring himself to be mad. Sasuke had seriously tried to get some money in a way that wouldn't anger him too much. The vampire was just so helpless when it came to how human society worked sometimes.

Their flight number was announced shortly after. Naruto and Sasuke as well as a few other people sitting nearby got up and made their way to the gates. Naruto couldn't believe this was really happening. Ever since he'd met Sasuke his life had been so crazy and spontaneous. Although he was a little scared, nervous, anxious even… well he couldn't help but feel excited deep down. He'd always been a positive enough person. So he thought, what if he really found his family? What if they managed to find a way to destroy Varin for good? Wouldn't that be just awesome? And then maybe he could really consider becoming a vampire, to stay with Sasuke forever – not to mention stay young and very much alive forever. The thought scared him but intrigued him at the same time. But he brushed it away. There would be time for that later.

Right now he was taking the plane with his boyfriend and they were going on a little vacation to Japan. This was what it looked like to the rest of the world anyway. To them it was more than just a vacation. It was a turning point in their lives.


	16. New lead

**16. New lead**

The first night the two males spent in Osaka was amazing. Naruto was fascinated by everything, the people, the landscapes, the buildings, the restaurant, the food, the language – everything was so different from what he was used to. He ate the most delicious ramen ever, and then he got so confused at an ice cream stand that it took him five minutes just to choose what flavor he wanted. Sasuke was smiling fondly.

"Stop smiling your fangs are showing," Naruto playfully slapped his cheek. But Sasuke didn't like that.

"Don't do that. Ever."

Of course, Naruto just wanted to do it again after hearing that. But when he tried Sasuke grabbed his wrist. They stopped walking in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Couldn't you think of a better way to hide them?" Sasuke tilted his head, a small smile on his beautiful lips. Naruto could indeed think of a better way.

Ignoring the ice cream in his free hand he leaned closer and placed a sweet kiss on those delicious lips. Sasuke licked his lip and entered his mouth, trying to deepen the kiss and make it more passionate. But Naruto quickly pulled away as he sensed eyes glaring at them. Indeed a few passersby were shocked by the display. But they quickly walked away. Still, Naruto was uneasy.

"Sasuke we're not in California here," he chuckled lightly, glancing around, "we should be careful."

"Tch, why should I care what people think?" He snarled but he let go of Naruto's wrist. They walked and the blonde was able to eat his ice cream.

The night life in the middle of the city was pretty great. They found a fancy club at around 1 am. It was all you can drink for 3000 yen which Sasuke assured was just fine. He hadn't lived here in a long time yet he seemed to catch up to modern Japan really quickly. Naruto was just following his lead.

The club was pretty awesome; Naruto felt underdressed actually in blue jeans and striped white and gray t-shirt. Whereas Sasuke was just perfect. He wore sexy pale skinny jeans with a black, deep v-neck shirt and a thin gray scarf around his neck. His sleek black hair was a bit windblown from walking outside but it made him look even hotter. Despite Naruto's opinion that his sexy vampire boyfriend was the more attractive male in the club, well, all eyes were on the blonde really. Probably because he had, in fact, blonde hair, and was clearly a foreigner.

Wherever they went, people seemed to think Sasuke's Japanese was a little off but they still understood him. This night club was no exception. The vampire ordered at the bar counter and they drank. Naruto discovered new cocktails – some of them tasted really weird but he finished them all anyway. As they stood close to each other, Sasuke's arm hanging loosely around Naruto's thin waist, well he couldn't help but think, this was nice. Tonight was all about pretending they were on a real vacation together, just having fun.

When Naruto felt drunk enough he decided he wanted to dance, even though he found the music here a little strange. It was so different from what they played back home. Still, he felt tipsy so he could dance to pretty much anything. Sasuke willingly followed him toward the back of the room. There were tons of people and the two tall, sexy males gathered a lot of attention but they didn't care. Their eyes were all over each other as they started dancing.

The lights were so dim, and they kept flickering at an insane speed. Naruto felt so light-headed and kind of buzzed because of this. But he danced carelessly, staying really close to Sasuke because he made him feel safe even in this completely unknown place. As long as Sasuke was with him, he was all right. Naruto smiled at his own thoughts as he stepped just a little closer. The slightly smaller male smiled back flirtatiously. He tilted his head and simultaneously circled Naruto's waist with his arm. He flushed their bodies in a swift movement as he started kissing the smooth, tan neck.

Naruto laughed drunkenly as Sasuke's fangs grazed his neck.

"Stop it… tickles."

Sasuke laughed softly and the sexy sound, as well as his hot breath made him shiver. The raven held him tight and licked the tiny injuries on his neck, using some of his own blood to heal them of course. This made Naruto even hornier.

They danced really close and some people were staring but they couldn't care less. Naruto forced his thigh in between Sasuke's legs.

"Naruto," the vampire breathed out into his neck.

Forcefully Naruto turned his head and kissed him fiercely. Their dancing became clumsy as their main focus was each other's lips and tongues. This heated make out session earned them some stares so eventually Naruto decided they should go outside. This place was starting to make him dizzy, anyway.

The cool November air was refreshing as they stood outside the building. Naruto really felt like smoking weed right now but he didn't have any. So instead he just followed Sasuke to a quieter spot and they leaned against some deserted building's wall. It was probably some store during the day but right now it was closed. They finally had some privacy. Naruto rested his head on Sasuke's shoulder.

"I love you," he eventually said.

"I love you too," Sasuke whispered.

"I know I'm here to try to find my family but… tonight… with you I…" he made a little smile, "I feel like I could be happy even if I don't find them. I had a really great time."

Sasuke ran his pale, cold fingers across his arm until their hands touched and intertwined.

"Same here."

Their eyes met and they looked at each other for a long time, under the street lights. Eventually they started kissing, and arms went flying around each other's thin bodies. They simply couldn't stop, it felt too amazing, too perfect.

"Should we go back to our hotel?" Naruto whispered into his cheek.

"You read my mind."

As they started walking Naruto laughed, "I actually don't do that anymore, you know? So if it seems like I do, it'll be cause I know you so well now," he playfully leaned closer and kissed Sasuke's cheek.

They didn't slow their pace. The vampire teased back, "Oh, I'm supposed to believe that?"

"Yeah, I can tell you what you're thinking about right now, without using my powers."

"And what would that be."

"That you want to fuck me," he chuckled, biting his lip.

Sasuke glanced at him sideways with lustful eyes, "You have no idea how bad I want you…"

"I think you're wrong I have a pretty good idea," Naruto squeezed his shoulders and smiled.

The slender male leaned into his touch and kissed his neck. This time it was actually really distracting so they had to stop walking. Naruto had always been really sensitive but when Sasuke kissed his neck it just made him go crazy – perhaps because the danger of his fangs made the whole thing even sexier. Maybe he was a little masochistic, kind of. But he liked it so much when Sasuke kissed him there. Even if he left marks, he didn't care. Slowly, in a silent agreement, they moved to a nearby small alley between two buildings. Eventually Sasuke stared right into deep blue eyes.

"Why don't you… use those powers of yours…?"

"You can't wait five more minutes can you?" The blonde teased.

"I can't…" he breathed hotly in his ear.

"Close your eyes," Naruto whispered and held him tight. He concentrated on their hotel room and sure enough, the next instant, they were standing right next to the double sized bed.

Naruto felt weak though and Sasuke, worried, had to hold him up.

"What's wrong?"

"Just a little tired," with his lover's help Naruto sat on the bed.

"You should've told me…" he narrowed his eyes but Naruto just shook his head.

"Nah don't worry about it, it'll pass…"

He grabbed his scarf and pulled him into a kiss. They were soon sprawled across the bed, hands running all over each other's bodies and tugging playfully at their shirts hemlines. Naruto did feel really tired though and his body hurt a little. He had no idea what was going on.

"You sure you're okay?" Sasuke asked in a low, worried voice as he rolled him on his back and held his cheek.

"Yeah…"

Sasuke kissed his lips softly while brushing his blonde locks aside. Climbing on top of him, he straddled him and their clothed erections touched. They both moaned loudly into each other's mouths.

Sasuke slid his arms under the blonde male to pull him up, only so that he could help him out of his t-shirt. Naruto eventually did the same for the vampire. Their skin touched, pale and cold against tan and warm. They fell back down on the mattress as they continued kissing each other lavishly.

"I love you so much," Naruto whispered. He entangled one hand in silk soft raven locks and placed the other at the crook of Sasuke's lower back. The vampire was so delicate yet so strong, and there was something incredibly hot about that. Naruto's energy was starting to replenish and he smirked, flipping their positions.

Sasuke didn't have time to protest as his flushed lips were assaulted over and over. Naruto became a little more aggressive. He slid one hand underneath Sasuke's jeans and boxers and grabbed his big, erect member. Sasuke moaned and trembled violently while Naruto smirked, before kissing him even more passionately. Inadvertently he injured his tongue because of the vampire's fangs. But actually this sent Sasuke into a craze because he got to taste his blood.

"Naruto," he tensed and the blonde could tell he had almost come right here and there.

"Woah calm down," Naruto teased fondly, "my tongue kinda hurts," he chuckled.

"I'm on it," the other said and playfully rolled him on his back so he could have his turn on top. But granted, it was also easier for him to slide his blood into Naruto's mouth to heal him while in this position.

"Hey Sasuke," he breathed.

"Yeah?" Sasuke was dry humping him at this point, totally losing control. Naruto smirked.

"Wanna ride me?" For sure the vampire would say no. Naruto just felt like trying to ask anyway…

"Yeah…"

"Really?" Hopeful blue eyes widened.

As a reply Sasuke took off his pants and boxers and kicked them away. Then he proceeded to take off Naruto's pants, sliding them down his slender legs while the blonde watched the erotic display. Sasuke was so perfect, so beautiful, so damn hot and Naruto's cock twitched, getting even harder if possible at the thought of his tight little ass riding him.

"Come here," he reached out to take Sasuke in his arms and he kissed him everywhere, his lips, his jaw, his neck, his ear… "Sasuke you're so fucking hot… You're so amazing… You really wanna do this?"

"Yeah…"

"Did I cast a spell on you without knowing it?" He smiled in between two kisses.

"That must be it," he teased.

He proceeded to lick his own hand thoroughly before wrapping it around Naruto's cock, and stroking him skillfully. Naruto tilted his head back in the pillow while Sasuke smirked and kissed him deeply.

"You're killing me…" Naruto eventually breathed heavily as he squeezed Sasuke's butt with his hand. He wanted that ass and he wanted it now.

Sasuke got the hint and positioned himself right above Naruto's throbbing cock. When he lowered himself Naruto cried out in pleasure. They locked eyes as Sasuke started moving his hips back and forth. This was so freakin' sexy – so intense. Naruto wanted more, always more, so he grabbed the slightly smaller male's hips to urge him to move faster. Sasuke rested his hands on Naruto's shoulders before increasing the pace indeed.

No thoughts swirled into Naruto's mind – no thoughts but one. He loved Sasuke so fucking much, and just how plain boring would his life be without him? Now that he was experiencing all of this, a deep, physical connection, so intense, so understanding, well there was no going back. No one else could pleasure him like this. Sasuke knew just what to do, where to touch, when to slow down, when to move faster, when to lean close to kiss him.

He wanted to know everything about Sasuke. He wanted their connection to be deeper, not just physical, but intellectual as well. He wanted to discover everything there was to know about Sasuke's personality, his mind. With every thrust, kiss, heavy breath, moan they shared Naruto was closer to reaching climax.

When finally they both tensed and finished, Naruto reached out to hold his lover fiercely in his arms. Right now he felt like Sasuke was just a young man, teenager even, eighteen, maybe twenty years old. He was so delicate, so vulnerable, and rendered out of breath and all trembling after fucking Naruto.

After a long moment of silence, during which they simply lay down really close, holding each other, Naruto softly said, "Tell me about when you were human, Sasuke."

"…Why?" He asked, and he sounded honestly confused.

Naruto pulled away slightly and replaced silky raven strands behind his ear. He searched Sasuke's deep onyx eyes.

"I want to know. How you used to be. Everything that made you what you are now, from the very beginning."

There was a pause, and finally a small smile stretched the male's darkened lips, "That is a long story."

"Well you already told me some of it," he shrugged, and replaced his arm more comfortably under his head as he lay on his side, "I just want to know more."

Sasuke was thoughtful, "I want to know more about you too."

"What do you want to know?"

He softly caressed Naruto's arm and even though his pale skin was cool the touch was somehow warm and comforting.

"Everything."

So Naruto told him. From when he was a little kid – more like a crazy, annoying brat – to high school, which he had graduated by miracle. A miracle named Hinata.

"I understand why you couldn't be too mad at her, even though she sold us out," Sasuke commented.

"Yeah… she's a really special friend."

"Was it confusing, when you realized you were gay?"

"Confusing? That's a bit of an understatement…"

"Tell me…" Sasuke was so eager to find out more, it was endearing. Naruto felt the same way. He kissed him softly then sighed as he tried to remember the way he felt four, five years ago.

"I didn't want to be gay. I wanted to keep on talking about girls with Gaara and Shikamaru. And I wanted to actually enjoy those talks but I couldn't – not anymore. For a teenager it's a really big deal, I guess. Now I just think about that and it sounds so silly."

"It's not silly. It's a sexual preference – and I mean sex is an important part of life isn't it?"

"That was so deep," he mocked.

"Shut up. While we're at it tell me about your ex."

"Jey? I already told you. He was such a bitch I mean it was fun at first but… yeah I don't miss him."

"I meant the sex."

"Oh, that." Naruto blushed, "It wasn't bad. That's the main reason I stayed with him even though he was annoying. He wanted it _all_ the time," he chuckled. Sasuke's eyes narrowed so Naruto quickly added, "But it sucked, really, you know," he chuckled rather nervously now. "There was nothing special about it. It's just… I didn't know any better… Now that I've met you, I mean, _nothing_ could top that."

Sasuke seemed satisfied with his answer.

"Your turn," Naruto said, "you tell me more about you now."

Sasuke talked about his human life since this was what interested Naruto the most. He told him that he was rather shy with strangers. He'd actually never had sexual partners before being changed into a vampire. His focus was his family, education, and learning to fight and spar with his brother most of all. It made Sasuke emotional to talk about all this even though he didn't go into details, and he didn't go near the subject of Varin.

Naruto held him tight and caressed his hair with the tip of his fingers. While Sasuke talked dawn drew near and he channeled some magical energy briefly to shut the curtains – very convenient. Sasuke didn't even notice.

They eventually stopped talking and drifted to a peaceful sleep, exhausted by their intense night full of discoveries.

**F & I**

The next day Sasuke didn't lose any time. He actually woke up before his boyfriend, which was a first. Naruto was acting like a vampire already, sleeping past 5 pm. Sasuke let him rest and decided to go and find someone that could help them by himself. He took a quick shower, rummaged through his suitcase and found his neat black pants, crisp white button down shirt and black blazer. Wherever he ended up going, might as well look professional.

With Naruto, they'd already tried the easy solution: googling the names of his father and sister. But there had been no result. Sasuke smiled fondly at the sleeping blonde before heading out of the hotel room, carrying only his cell, cash money and fake id in his pocket.

His hair dried as he walked outside, letting the cool wind refresh and appease him. Sasuke lived in constant fear of being found again by Varin. He'd grown used to it, but recently the threat had become closer. Naruto was offering him protection. Maybe he couldn't actually protect him from the extremely old vampire, but at least this was protection from himself. In other words Naruto's presence was saving him from going insane. Sasuke's mental health hadn't always been stable, to say the least.

Even though everything had changed, it felt comforting for the vampire to be back in his native country. Deep down, he was just as fascinated as Naruto had been the day before. Osaka was an amazing city, and there were people everywhere. Sasuke could've easily gotten lost. In fact he did, but he managed to find his way back and locate a police station at once. His advantage was that he couldn't tire out, he couldn't get cold and also he had a good photographic memory for all the street names.

As he stepped through the police station's double doors he figured he had a pretty good idea of their hotel's surroundings at this point. He could always give directions to Naruto over the phone later if he wanted to join him. But for now, some compulsion was in order.

Due to Sasuke's youthful yet incredibly handsome appearance the young police officer he talked to was a bit intimidated. He was also very easy to compel. Sasuke just ordered him to help in finding someone.

The man told some colleagues that he had the situation under control and he brought Sasuke to his small office. Said colleagues stared curiously but said nothing.

Once the door was closed Sasuke went to look over the guy's shoulder at the computer screen. He gave him Miku Uzumaki's name first figuring they should start with her. If they found Naruto's sister then they would probably find his father at once.

The man started searching through his database and Sasuke understood that it would take some time, so he pulled away. Instead he paced the room impatiently. At some point his cell rang and he answered; it was Naruto of course.

"Where are you? You better not be drinking anyone's blood cause you know you could've just asked me."

"Idiot," he rolled his eyes, glancing briefly at the police officer but he wasn't listening, "I'm at the police station looking for info on your sister."

"Really?" Naruto's voice sounded hopeful, yet weakened.

"Everything all right?"

"I don't know I feel kinda sick but no big deal. You found anything yet?"

"No. Why are you feeling sick?"

"I don't know Sasuke I'm human okay? It happens. Maybe I just drank too much last night. I think I need to eat something but I'm really not sure they'll understand me. How do you say coffee and bagel in Japanese?"

"I'm pretty sure they'll understand if you say it in English Naruto," Sasuke made a little smile. He was such an idiot sometimes.

"Oh, okay…"

"You're going to the hotel's restaurant?"

"I don't know… maybe that coffee shop across the street…"

"Call me after I'll tell you how to get to the station."

"All right. See ya later."

They hung up and Sasuke turned his attention back to the young man. When he looked up and realized the vampire was looking at him expectedly, he shook his head; still nothing. Sasuke gave him Minato's name too. But the problem was, they didn't know his last name. Uzumaki was Kushina's last name. Maybe, Sasuke thought, they'd given Naruto that particular last name while giving his sister Minato's. In that case they'd never find them with so little information.

Afterwards they tried with the name Nagato Uzumaki, which Naruto had also told him about briefly. The situation was getting desperate; they found nothing at all.

"Could you look up Kieru Inuzuka?" Sasuke eventually asked. He was really just curious to see if he'd find anything.

It was the name of a powerful warlock Suigetsu and he had known so many years ago. It wasn't exactly a pleasant memory. The magician had used his powers to attack them, and using lightning energy he'd almost killed Suigetsu. Sasuke had negotiated, and promised they'd never hurt humans again. On top of that he swore to always help the man and his eventual descendants to kill other vampires. Of course it had been nothing but lies – all of it – to save their sorry asses.

To his surprise he found something. Apparently the surname had stayed in the family, skipping quite a few generations just like in Kushina Uzumaki's case.

"He used to work for the police force, actually," the young man informed, "he's recently deceased though. There's his daughter, Tsume Inuzuka, and herself has two kids who took her last name, Hana and Kiba. She's a veterinarian, has her own business not too far from here..."

Interesting, Sasuke thought. He could always seek their help as a last resort to kill Varin. Of course by himself they'd never agree to it. But he had Naruto on his side, too, and that could be his trump card.

"I need their contact info," he said staring right into the man's eyes. He nodded obediently and printed the sheet containing the confidential information. On the meantime Naruto called and Sasuke gave him the directions, but Naruto whined over the phone because he couldn't read the street names anyway.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "All right I'll come meet you. We couldn't find your family anyway. We need your father's last name."

"I don't have it!"

"I know that. Can't you call your adoptive father to ask him if he knows?"

"I can try…"

"Tell you what, I've got a guy working for me right now so why don't you try to call him then call me back right away? Ask him for his job too that could help the search."

"All right."

So Naruto did just that. Sasuke waited not so patiently by the window of the small office. He looked over the sheet of information on the Inuzuka family over and over. He'd need to discuss it with Naruto but maybe they could really ask them for help.

He answered right away when his cell rang.

"He won't tell me anything!" Naruto exclaimed. "He's pissed I left and he wants me to come back! He's freaking out Sasuke I tried to tell him to calm down but he hung up on me…" His voice still sounded weak and tired and Sasuke got worried.

"All right don't worry about it 'kay? You still in front of that coffee shop?"

"…Yeah."

"I found something even though it's not your family. I'm coming to meet you now."

"Actually can I wait for you in our room? It's kinda cold outside…"

It wasn't that cold. Despite being pretty much indifferent to those kinds of things Sasuke could tell. So he really was getting worried about Naruto right now.

"Sure, I'll be there as soon as I can."

He hung up, compelled the guy not to tell anyone what had just happened, and left with the precious information in his inside pocket. Sasuke walked like he owned the place, looking sharp in his nice clothes, and no one stopped him. Attitude was key sometimes.

So he made his way back to the hotel pretty quickly. He had to respect the street signs and lights though he wouldn't want to attract attention on himself. It pissed him off when he had to wait at a crossroads but he had no choice. Still, he respected his promise and he was by Naruto's side as fast as he could.

The blonde was sitting on the unmade bed with his laptop and his to-go cup of coffee resting on the bedside table. His hair was messy and he just wore gray boxers and a navy blue t-shirt. Part of his legs were under the sheets. He shrugged when he saw Sasuke.

"I'm still so tired man…" he ran his fingers through his hair and looked back at his computer screen, "Jet lag maybe… Anyway. I've been trying to find my sister on facebook," he chuckled, "although Miku kind of _gives me_ a lot of results. And I'm not even talking about those Hatsune Miku fan pages…"

Sasuke had no idea what Naruto was talking about but he let that slide. He just went to sit right next to him on the bed, and he touched his slightly flushed cheek with the back of his hand. He was burning up.

"You're sick," he said, almost frightened. He was a vampire damn it. He had no idea what to do if Naruto got sick.

"Impossible. I never get sick," he replied half-teasing but his eyes were kinda blurry and his voice weak – in other words he had no credibility whatsoever.

"You should… rest," Sasuke decided and he stole the laptop from Naruto. He put it away then came back to the bed, ignoring the blonde's protests.

"I know how to take care of myself all right? I didn't bring you here to act like my baby sitter."

"Fair enough," the vampire said hesitantly. He took off his blazer to get more comfortable and he grabbed the piece of paper, handing it to Naruto.

"Sasuke I… can't read that."

"Oh, right, sorry. Um… it's information on the Inuzuka family… they're like you Naruto, I'm sure… unless I've got the wrong family but…"

"Inuzuka… that actually sounds familiar…"

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Naruto's eyes widened as he remembered, "Suigetsu told me about some guy who almost killed him, and you saved him, or something."

"When did he tell you about that?"

"First time I met him actually," Naruto shivered slightly and pulled the sheets up to his waist, folding his legs a little, "We talked in the car on our way to save you and kill that Orochimaru guy… Remember how cool that was? I was so bad ass…"

Sasuke arched a fine black eyebrow, "I'm pretty sure I wasn't conscious for that part."

Randomly Naruto started unbuttoning his boyfriend's shirt as he went on, "Hmm you're right… you were dying in that fucking sauna… You were dying and I saved you and then you had a fever and you said my name," he smiled.

"And now you're the one with a fever."

"I think so," Naruto made a face as he slid the shirt off Sasuke's arms. He pulled him close and shivered. "Feels like I'm cold and burning at the same time."

"Your skin's burning," Sasuke said as he held him back. The heat of his skin was almost too uncomfortable for the vampire actually.

"You have to stay with me…" They lay down on the bed, Naruto insisting on holding him close. "Your skin's so cold it'll cool down the fever," he chuckled, closing his eyes, "best fever medicine ever."

"Just… tell me you'll be fine?" Sasuke said worriedly, caressing the messy blonde locks.

"Probably. Y'know it's weird I've never been sick before…"

"Do you think it's caused by your powers? Maybe you've been using them too much?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

"I'll stay with you 'til you fall asleep. Then I'll go see that witches' family. Maybe they can give us advice for that too."

"No… it's no big deal," Naruto pressed himself closer and he had trouble keeping his eyes open, "I'm probably just tired… I don't want you to go see them alone are you insane? They'll kill you."

"They won't kill me. I'll tell them I'm their ally, tell them I've got a friend just like them – they'll want to meet you. They'll want to help us for sure."

"How do you know?"

"Don't you people help each other out?"

Naruto let out a short laugh, "Sasuke I don't even know anyone else like me."

"But if you did wouldn't you help them if they were in trouble?"

"Yeah… I guess so…"

"My point exactly."

They stayed silent for a moment. Naruto's skin was really burning up yet he was shivering. Sasuke pulled up the sheets to his shoulders and pulled away a little to give him some space. The blonde was half-asleep by now, but he was a bit agitated. Sasuke was so worried that he couldn't wait any longer.

He sleeked out his pants and put the rest of his clothes back on. Grabbing the paper with the address, he glanced at Naruto one last time, closed and locked the door and found his way out of the building, and into the cold night.


	17. Misunderstanding

**17. Misunderstanding**

He couldn't believe it. A vampire. A fucking vampire was approaching like it wasn't a big deal at all. Kiba was alone in his house right now so he was a little bit nervous. His mother and sister were working late at the veterinary clinic.

The Inuzuka family prided themselves in scaring away all the vampires in the area. They had killed many, and they had quite the reputation. No blood sucker dared approach their city.

And now there was one, right about ready to knock on his door like it was perfectly normal. Kiba pulled the curtain of the living room slightly to see him. It was a male, he looked young – around Kiba's age actually – but that didn't mean anything. He had black hair and eyes, he was tall and skinny and his skin was pale-white. Kiba's abilities to sense vampires weren't quite developed yet, but he'd felt him approach for about two minutes now.

Sure thing, that blood sucker prick knocked at his door like there was nothing more normal in the world. Kiba scratched his spiky brown hair nervously, then clenched his fists. Well, this was an opportunity to test his powers. He'd had them for years but he'd never really practiced. His mother and sister were always so busy and refused to help him. They always said that vampires feared them and would never come back to this town anyway. Well damn you irony.

"How does he know where we live anyway," Kiba muttered to himself worriedly, as he pondered answering the door and playing along or not.

It was all the more weird since they'd just moved recently to get a bigger house. His sister was pregnant and she wanted to raise her kid here since her douche bag ex had left in a hurry as soon as he'd found out about the whole witch thing. This was why Kiba preferred having a witch girlfriend. It was so much better – plus he could just imagine how bad ass their kids would be. But he was losing his focus here. There was a freakin' vampire waiting at his door. And he probably knew there was someone inside – could probably smell his blood or detect his presence or whatever other weirdo vampire ability.

Kiba felt good, he hadn't practiced in a while but he'd be fine, he tried to convince himself as he made his way to the front door. If things came to worst, he could always transform into his big white dog alter ego. It was his favorite power – shape shifting. In his alternate form he was so much stronger. He'd always secretly wanted to fight a vampire in that form. It was sort of like in the movies, except he wasn't exactly a werewolf but that was just a little detail.

He got so worked up that when he opened the door he grabbed the vampire by the collar and threw him to the ground harshly. He closed the door, determined not to let him get inside. If they were gonna fight then they'd do it outside. And if they alerted the neighbors then good; vampires were so scared of being discovered by the cops or humans in general. That asshole would just run away.

"Relax I just wanna talk…" the vampire started but Kiba quickly glanced from side to side, making sure his residential street was deserted at the moment. He transformed into a dog uncaring that his clothes were destroyed.

The mix of excitement, adrenaline and fear had just been too intense. He couldn't help it; Kiba wasn't exactly good at keeping his powers under control.

The vampire's dark eyes went wide and he tried to crawl away but clearly he was shocked and taken by surprise. Kiba, now more aggressive than ever in his animal form, growled and launched at him. His family, for generations and generations, had only one rule; never trust vampires. One ancestor had trusted two vampires once, and had always regretted it. The mistake would not be made twice.

Kiba had to admit; the guy put up a good fight. While the dog clawed and bit his neck harshly he still tried to talk.

"You… fucking idiot… I said I just wanted to talk. I know someone… like you… and he's in trouble…"

That caught his attention and he hesitated. He just couldn't trust a vampire, could he? His mother had repeated it over and over. This moment of hesitation cost him though; the raven-haired bastard punched his side – hard. Kiba had never thought a vampire could be so strong. He'd never suffered such pain while in his animal form before.

The fight became more equal after that. Both were weakened but they kept at it. The vampire seemed extremely annoyed and offended. The look on his face was almost comical. But Kiba was just getting more and more aggressive. Unfortunately this also caused him to be clumsy. Thing was, he really didn't practice often enough.

He got thrown across the front yard harshly and the next instant the vampire was on him, baring his fangs. The guy had piercing black eyes shining menacingly in the night and it freaked Kiba out.

"You gonna listen to me now?" The vampire snarled, almost strangling him, "Just transform back into normal damn it so we can actually talk! I'm on your side alright? My friend Naruto, he's just like you, so…"

Kiba was surprised when he heard that name. He knew that name.

But his mother and sister had just arrived and they got out of the car. Everything happened so quickly. Of course, they thought the vampire was trying to kill him, so his mother attacked him. Tsume Inuzuka had quite a dangerous ability; she could make a person bleed, draining them of all their blood in a few instants. Of course she'd never even think of using that power on a human being. But for a vampire, as she often said, wasn't it a perfect way to go? The same way they killed so many humans.

So the angry woman didn't lose any time in using that threatening ability, and the vampire let out a scream of pain as thousands of cuts appeared on his pale skin, bleeding out profusely. He fell on top of Kiba and he was utterly disgusted. Ew now he'd have vampire blood all over him.

Breathing heavily, he managed to crawl away from the raven. He hid behind the bushes decorating the front yard and transformed back into normal.

"Mom stop…" his voice was rasp and weak but his mother was completely insane right now and he had to get her to stop. His sister, very much pregnant, had stayed safely in the car, probably following Tsume's orders. Kiba managed to scream out, "Stop it!"

Her brown eyes widened and she finally released her power to step closer to her son. Kiba glanced at the vampire; he was unconscious in a pool of his own blood.

"Is he dead?"

"No I still have to burn him…" she actually took out a lighter from her purse and Kiba freaked out.

"No! Damn it! Stop!" He was prude so he didn't want to get out from the bushes. But he wished his mother could listen to him before acting like a crazy person. Okay, so maybe Kiba wasn't really better…

Hana finally got out of the car and came to join them. She wasn't really horrified at the sight of the bloodied corpse on the cold ground; she'd seen worst. They all had. Both women looked at Kiba expectantly. Hana took him in pity and threw her trench coat at him.

"Thanks," Kiba muttered.

"Are you gonna tell us what happened?" Tsume exclaimed. "What's going on? What's a vampire doing here? And why won't you let me kill him?"

"He was trying to tell me something I… I shouldn't have attacked him in the first place he just wanted to talk…" Kiba was sure of it now, and he felt guilty.

"No you did the right thing," Hana frowned, "you should never trust a vampire."

"I know, I know, but…" He bit his lip, "He… Apparently he's friends with… my girlfriend's brother…"

Namikaze Miku had lived in Osaka for many years with her father Minato. The two families had been really close; in fact, Hana, Kiba and Miku were childhood friends. The relationship had developed slowly between Kiba and the pretty blonde witch but when they'd discovered their incredible powers due to the last vampire attack which had occurred in the area, well it had brought them very close. Unfortunately Minato had been transferred in Kyoto for his job so now they were trying to make their relationship work even though they couldn't see each other all the time like they used to. Anyway, of course Kiba knew the name Naruto. He knew pretty much the whole story; how the Uzumaki had always been threatened by some big bad ass vampire dude, and how the twins had been separated after birth, the boy going with his deceased mother's best friend and the girl staying with her father. It was safer, if one of the kids was found, at least the other would be fine. Miku had told him the story several times, and she never failed to mention that she found all of this incredibly stupid, and that she wanted to find her brother one day.

While Kiba was lost in his thoughts, and trying to cover himself up with his sister's trench coat as best as he could, well the two women discussed what to do.

"…Maybe in the basement," Hana was saying in a low voice.

"Do you think he'll wake up?" Their mother asked.

"No," she answered, "I think he's gonna need blood for that. You were pretty extreme mom."

"I thought he was gonna kill Kiba!"

He finally stepped in, "Look, calm down, you two, it's my problem. I'll take care of it. I'll give him some of my blood, then he'll be all better, and he can explain…"

His mother went in crazy mode. "No way in hell! Inuzuka Kiba you will not give your precious blood to one of those nasty creatures as long as I'm still alive I will never see such a thing happen do you hear me?"

"Fine!" He sighed heavily, "Then what do I do should I carry him to the basement like you said?" He glanced at his sister.

She nodded, "Yeah, until we figure it out."

"All right." It was his fault after all, so he had to do this…

"Not with my coat on!" Hana's voice became high pitched and panicked, "You'll put blood all over it!"

"Oh fuck off!" Now he was really pissed. But he stormed inside the house, yelling behind his shoulders, "I'll be right back I'll go get changed!"

The Inuzuka household was rarely quiet. Well there were three big dogs constantly yapping but right now they were trapped in the backyard as always when they were at work. Kiba hadn't let them come inside earlier; he'd preferred waiting for his mother. But actually, the dogs weren't always the cause for all the noise. Tsume had quite a big voice and she liked to use it. Hana and Kiba took after their mother.

Tonight, things were practically hectic. Kiba did get changed into comfortable sweat pants and then he reluctantly carried the vampire on his back to the basement. At least he was really skinny and light. It wasn't a problem for Kiba to carry him. They locked the basement door and then the yelling started. And the worst thing was, Tsume wasn't even mad at him for opening the door to a vampire, and putting himself in danger, no, she was mad because some blood had dropped on her new carpet. And she was also mad because Kiba had transformed without taking off his clothes, and he was broke and his credit card was maxed out, and if he expected her to buy him new clothes then he was dreaming, and so on… Hana was tired so she retired to her bedroom.

Kiba was left alone with his mom and her relentless yelling. Now she was going on about how she'd had a rough day at work and he was just topping it all out.

"Mom," he yelled back at some point, "stop it, all right? Look, I'm no superhero, I don't have the fucking time to take off my clothes before getting into a fight with a villain okay? Besides it just happened! I fucking panicked! What the hell was I supposed to do? Huh? T'was my first time fighting a vampire alone! And I feel like shit cause…" he sighed, guilt indeed eating at him, "I feel like I should've listened to him… He fucking knows Naruto I mean that's not exactly a common name… And he said he was like me. It has to be Miku's brother."

"I'm tired," she frowned and lifted her hand to rub her temple, "I'm so tired… look, Kiba, stay up all night to make sure he doesn't wake up, and nothing happens. Clean this mess," she pointed at the blood stains on the carpet, "I don't care how you do it, just clean it. And take care of the dogs, I'm going to bed."

"You expect me to stay up all night…?"

She started walking up the stairs and yelled behind her shoulder, "You always stay up all night anyway!"

He closed his mouth. She did have a point.

Kiba let the dogs inside and fed them. At least he had some company. He tried to clean the blood stains with a cloth and soapy water but it didn't go away completely. The dogs came to see what he was doing but he just pushed them away. Damn it, couldn't he use his magical powers to clean this up or something? In Harry Potter they always used magic for chores in the house, didn't they? Those lucky bastards…

Kiba tried it. He just had to. He concentrated, visualizing the stupid stains just gone from his mom's stupid carpet… Didn't work. He sighed and this time hugged his favorite dog for comfort. Akamaru. He was big and white just like Kiba's alter ego. Kiba was pretty sure that dog understood everything he told him. Maybe it was a magical dog.

"There's a vampire in my fucking basement Akamaru," he swallowed and glanced at the locked door, "I mean what am I supposed to do? Should I give him some blood, even though my mom… she's totally gonna kill me if she finds out…"

Akamaru made a little terrified moan as if Tsume frightened him as well. Kiba nodded in understanding.

"I know, she can be scary."

Kiba didn't want to go down there so instead he went to get his laptop and sat in the living room. He had headphones on not to wake his mother and sister but he kept his eyes on the basement door.

He played some online game with his buddies from work. He forgot to keep his eyes on the basement door while he played but for his defense the game was really fun – and they were winning. Even though Kiba often preferred online gaming to doing homework, he went to school in order to become a veterinarian just like the rest of his family and had a bright future ahead of him. They all shared the same passion for animals.

Kiba was the only one who had inherited the ability to be a shape shifter though – which was pretty sweet. His sister was so jealous. And he was pretty sure his mother was secretly jealous too. Kiba's girlfriend Miku was a shape shifter too. Her alter ego was a fox. It was kinda adorable, but kinda too big to be a normal fox too – almost as big as Kiba's dog form, in fact.

As he thought of her, an icon popped up in the bottom right of his computer and he saw that she was online. His hazel eyes lit up as she started a webcam chat. But then he remembered he should probably tell her about what had just happened.

"Baby I miss you so much," she said through her computer mike, "Ohh no shirt huh? I like that. You like my outfit? I'm wearing it just for you."

He should probably tell her… but instead he admired the girl with long blonde hair and cute reddish high lights, as well as an indeed sexy blue and black lingerie kit…

"I like it a lot... But you know what I'd like even more?" He smiled.

She smiled back, the prettiest, cutest smile, as she lifted her delicate fingers to pull down her bra straps.

Suddenly though Kiba's attention was disturbed, as Akamaru and the two other dogs sniffed the basement door repeatedly. Apparently they had become curious of what was going on in there. And Kiba realized, he really shouldn't keep that kind of information from his girlfriend, even for one more second. What was he thinking, getting her to strip instead of telling her? Stupid testosterone.

"Look, Miku, there's something going on here, I should tell you about…"

She immediately became serious as he told her the whole story. Her eyes widened progressively as she sat cross-legged in her bed, right in front of her laptop. Kiba could see her big blue eyes and her shocked traits even in the dark lit room.

"He said he…" she said in a little voice, "knows my brother?"

"Yeah. Said they were friends. I wanted to let him explain I swear," he insisted, "but my mother had really bad timing, you know how she is…"

"I understand," she nodded. She wasn't mad, and a weight was lifted from Kiba's shoulders. "Kiba… if you're sure he's not gonna wake up… and you're not gonna be in any danger… maybe you could like, check if he has a cell phone, or something? I mean… what if my brother's number's in there? It's worth a shot, right?"

Her voice sounded so hopeful. Kiba smiled reassuringly and nodded.

"No problem. I'll go right now and I'll be right back."

"Be careful!"

"Don't worry about it."

Kiba took off the headphones and made his way to the basement. Keeping the dogs away, he closed the door behind him and walked down the stairs. He flicked on the light and stepped toward the unconscious vampire hesitantly. This made him think of some horror movie scene, and he was scared the guy would just wake up and start attacking him randomly.

He looked kind of vulnerable like this though, with his eyes closed, delicate traits relaxed yet somehow pained, hair all messy and matted with blood, and well, overall covered in blood because of his mother's attack. The cuts weren't healing, and neither was the damage Kiba had done to his neck while in his dog form. It wasn't pretty; injuries inflicted by magic were fatal to a vampire. Well like his mother had said, to kill him completely they'd have to burn him. Now he could be revived with blood. Kiba hesitated, but he didn't do it. Instead he just did what Miku asked and looked in the guy's pocket. He found id, hotel room key, a sheet of paper with the contact info for his family – which explained how he'd found their house – and finally his cell. Kiba brought all of that stuff upstairs with him, and closed the basement door again.

Sitting in front of his laptop he saw that Miku was still right there looking at him through the webcam, waiting impatiently. Kiba scrolled down the contact list and indeed found Naruto's name. So it was true…

"Should I call him?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, please."

He nodded and held his breath as he dialed. He put the cell phone on speaker so perhaps she could hear both their voices through the laptop mike – if the guy picked up his phone that is.

He did answer, right before it went to voice mail.

"Where the hell are you?" A raspy voice said worriedly, "I was freaking out…"

He tried to speak in his best English, "Um… Hi. My name's Kiba, and…"

"What? Who're you? Where's Sasuke? Oh my god what did you do to him?"

"Look, dude, calm down. And… it wasn't my fault."

Wrong move. The poor guy totally freaked out.

"What the hell happened? Is he okay? Where is he? Tell me! How do I get there?"

"He's gonna be fine! There was just… a misunderstanding… so he's gonna need some blood…"

"I can give him some! Where are you?"

Kiba glanced at his laptop screen. Miku could make out most of the conversation. She was speechless at hearing her brother's voice for the first time so she just nodded. Her eyes said that she was sure he could be trusted.

Still, Kiba decided to make sure, "So you're really Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Yes! What does that have to do with anything? Why do you ask? How do you even know that? And are you gonna tell me where the hell… I need to… get to Sasuke now…"

That guy didn't sound so good. Even Miku seemed worried although she probably couldn't hear perfectly well. Kiba cleared his throat and tried to keep his voice calm. But something had ringed an alarm in his head just now.

"Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yes, what does that have to… do with anything? Please… tell me how to get to him."

The Inuzuka family had a list, written by generations and generations of witches and wizards, a list of vampires to fear and be particularly careful of… but to kill with no hesitation if given the chance. Uchiha Sasuke was on that list. It wasn't the name it said on the id but it was most likely fake. Oh god, if his mother heard about this, she would not be happy. Kiba thought quickly, and decided to hide that information, it was for the best. They could come up with a fake name for the vampire if needed.

Finally he answered Naruto's pleas and told him his address slowly, so he could write it down.

"You're gonna take a cab or something?"

"Yeah… I'll be there as soon as possible."

"You gonna be okay? You don't sound so good…"

"I'll be fine. Thanks so much for calling me. I told him not to go alone, damn it… Anyway, we can talk later."

And Naruto hung up. Kiba looked into his webcam and said, "Looks like we're gonna meet your brother."

"I wish I could be there," she bit her lip, looking downward, "You know what baby… I'm just gonna log out. I don't want to meet him through a webcam… I want you to take him with you when you come visit me next week, all right? I want to meet him, no matter what."

"I'm sure he'll want to meet you too."

She looked up with big blue eyes, "You think so?"

"Yeah, totally."

"Thanks Kiba. Send me a text later to tell me how things went all right?"

"I will," he promised.

She logged out, and Kiba closed his laptop. Akamaru jumped up onto the couch next to him, and the brunet petted him absentmindedly as he glanced out the window, waiting to hear a cab approach any minute now.

**F & I**

He had told him not to go alone! Stupid, stupid Sasuke. Getting all worked up just cause he'd gotten some virus or whatever. Naruto was tired and worn out, his nose was runny – thankfully enough the cab driver had some paper tissues in his vehicle – and he had a sore throat. This was his first time being sick with a fever and apparently his body had decided to have all the fucking symptoms at once. It wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

He wore dark blue jeans with a simple black tee and his black leather jacket. He sniffed and hugged himself as he leaned against the window. Naruto had just given the piece of paper on which he'd previously written the address that Kiba dude had told him over the phone. He hoped this wasn't some sort of fucked up trap to kill him because he was friends with a vampire or whatever cause he just wasn't in the mood. He just really wished Sasuke was okay, he thought with a pang in his heart.

The driver said something which Naruto didn't understand, and soon the car stopped. They were here then. Now he needed to pay in stupid yen and he had no idea whatsoever…

As he fumbled nervously with the few bills he'd brought, the driver staring at him and saying some more incomprehensible stuff – anime Japanese was one thing but the real thing was another – well there was sudden knocking at the window. After jumping out of his skin Naruto eagerly opened the door. A tall and lean brunet guy with broad shoulders handed a couple of bills to the driver, thanked him, and grabbed Naruto's arm.

"Come on I paid him it's the least I can do," he said in English thankfully, "now just make sure you stay quiet all right? Believe me we don't want to wake my mother." He let go of Naruto's arm as they walked inside the house. "By the way it's nice to meet you…"

"Cut the crap. Where is he?"

"Fine, fine," the male scratched his spiky hair as he slipped off his worn sneakers and made his way to a door across the living room. Naruto followed him, ignoring the dogs sniffing him curiously.

"Why the hell aren't you wearing a shirt?" Naruto couldn't help but ask.

"Oh shit, yeah, sorry about that, by the way did you bring spare clothes for your friend?"

"Do I look like I brought spare clothes?" He hissed.

"Sorry…" Kiba turned on the basement light as they walked down the stairs.

When Naruto saw him his heart squeezed tightly in his chest and he swallowed hard. He hurried and fell to his side, rolling him on his back. His skin was even colder than normal, and he was even paler and skinner too. His neck was injured badly and there were deep cuts all over his body… It looked like he'd lost a lot of blood.

"Sasuke," he whispered and his human reflex was to check for a pulse, or breathing. There was none. Then he tried to clear his thoughts, which wasn't easy with the fever still clouding his mind. Right, Sasuke was a vampire. If he gave him some blood he'd be just fine, right? Right.

"You have a knife or something?" Naruto looked down at his wrist hesitantly.

"Yeah, just wait a second I'll go get you one…"

The other male walked up the stairs quickly and disappeared from Naruto's sight. He wished he would hurry up. On the meantime the blonde, completely ignoring the tears rolling down his cheeks, gently unbuttoned what was left of the blood stained shirt and slid it off Sasuke's body. His neck really was badly injured and Naruto was totally freaking out.

Thankfully Kiba came back with the knife a few seconds later. He handed it to Naruto and just watched and stepped away as he slit his wrist.

Naruto had to repress a yelp of pain but his own suffering didn't matter in the slightest right now. He let the blood fall and slide in between Sasuke's parted lips. While he did this he remembered that one time he'd used his magical powers to heal the burn he'd inadvertently inflicted on Sasuke's hand. So while letting the blood pour from his wrist and into Sasuke's mouth, well he narrowed his eyes and channeled his energy. He looked specifically at his lover's neck. Soon it started healing in an accelerated process. Naruto barely registered Kiba's impressed gasp.

"Did you do that? I mean, not just with your blood but… with your powers?"

"Yeah," he whispered and continued concentrating, touching the exposed skin of Sasuke's torso with his free hand as the cuts healed one after the other.

Kiba was just watching, speechless. But suddenly Naruto felt extremely weak and black crept into his vision. He felt nauseous. He couldn't feel his arms anymore, and neither could he feel the rest of his body for that matter. Before he knew it he'd fallen on top of Sasuke's body, and he cried. Wasn't he strong enough to save him?

"Woah buddy you okay?" Kiba hesitantly sat down on Sasuke's other side and touched the blonde's shoulder.

No he wasn't okay. He could barely master enough energy to remain conscious and he hadn't given enough blood to Sasuke. Maybe he hadn't slit his wrist deeply enough. Feverish, Naruto tried to grab the knife again but Kiba stopped him.

"Don't…"

He was interrupted by a pained moan as Sasuke woke up. His heart had started beating again and he coughed weakly. His dark eyes were blurry and lidded. It seemed he had no idea what was going on. He just grabbed Naruto's wrist, which was still near his lips, and sank his fangs deep into the skin before drinking long gulps. Naruto barely felt the pain since he was already in a half conscious state. Kiba was freaking out.

"Stop it… you guys need to calm down… Honestly you," he grabbed Sasuke's hair with one hand to yank him away, and grabbed Naruto's arm with the other, "need to stop drinking his blood, cause you're gonna kill him. And I don't want to have to tell my girlfriend, that her long lost brother is dead because I just let him die, cause then she's probably gonna break up with me!"

Kiba sat, panting, and let go of the two others. Naruto fell in Sasuke's arms, trembling, perhaps from fear of losing him, pain, fever, or all of it at once.

"Sasuke," he whispered because he simply didn't have the strength to speak louder, "you're such… an idiot!"

"I'm sorry," the raven held him with the little strength he had regained. It was clear he wanted to drink more but he was repressing his urges.

Kiba waited, and eventually Naruto's dizzy brain seemed to finally register what he'd just said.

"Wait…" he looked up, slowly pulling away from the raven, "you… you said… but… you…"

"I know your sister, yes. Look I just need to ask something. You guys like… together? Cause that's weird."

Sasuke kept his hand at Naruto's waist possessively as he sat up, and the male's deep blue eyes glared at Kiba harshly.

"I'm sick and tired… of fucking homophobes, honestly, I mean what does it matter if we're two guys…?"

"No! What I mean is you're like me," he pointed at Naruto, "and he's… well a blood sucker."

Naruto launched at Kiba and pushed him to the floor, raising his fist. But he was so weak that it was rather pathetic.

"You piss me off! It's none of your business anyway! And if you ever, ever touch him again, I swear I'll fucking kill you!"

"Look I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, and he glanced at Sasuke, "I really am! But everything's fine now, isn't it? Disaster averted. I would've listened to you, by the way, as soon as you said Naruto's name. I recognized it from all the times Miku told me…"

Naruto pulled away and fell back to the cold floor, breathing heavily. But he managed to stay fully awake as he listened to Kiba. All three males ended up sitting in a circle. Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a glance and both shifted to sit a little closer. They couldn't talk right now but they just needed to stay close. Both had been so scared for the other.

"But my mom… my stupid mom had to step in and use her sick, twisted powers like some crazy person… So I had to stop her. Believe me I'm all for being peaceful all right? I'm not gonna lie I think you guys are kinda weird but that's okay… I'll get over it. I just… I was raised by her so you can imagine I'm a little paranoid when it comes to vampires. Plus now that Naruto here told me your name," Kiba shrugged, "well I know you're on my family's death list buddy. Don't worry; I don't wanna know why, and I'm definitely keeping that little detail from my mother. All right, so you guys must have tons of questions?"

"My sister," Naruto said in a low voice, as he ran a hesitant hand in his messy blonde locks, "where is she?"

"She moved to Kyoto like one year ago. I'm visiting her all the time. Actually I'm going next week so if you wanna come… She would love to meet you."

The blonde felt so sick, and weak, nauseous, even. But at this very moment, he smiled and he was happy.

"Yeah, I'd love to meet her too."

There was a moment of silence, full of contained emotion. Sasuke was the one to break it, actually.

"Give me your hand," he whispered, "Naruto, please…"

"But you need this blood…"

"It'll just be a drop," Sasuke pleaded.

Naruto nodded and gave his wrist. Sasuke bit his own tongue and let the now supernatural blood heal the ripped skin. The vampire's own skin was now flawlessly white again, too. But he still felt very weak, clearly. Naruto kept Sasuke's hand in his as he glanced back at Kiba. Before he could ask another question Kiba beat him to it.

"Couldn't you just heal yourself?" He asked, his voice sounding sincerely curious, "Like you did before for him?"

"I don't know," the blonde frowned, looking downward at Sasuke's pale hand which he was squeezing in his. "I've never tried that."

The slightly smaller male reached out to cup his cheek with his free hand, "I couldn't let you use your powers again, anyway. You're too weak already."

"You're getting so worked up about this," Naruto looked up, locking eyes with dark gray irises, "I'll be fine all right? I just need to sleep it off. And so do you. We should go back to our hotel. Where we should be, if you hadn't been such a complete crazy idiot."

"I'm sorry," Sasuke leaned close and squeezed his eyes shut as he pressed their foreheads together. Their lips almost touched.

But Kiba cleared his throat, "Okay, so you guys really should go I guess. And my mother is probably gonna kill me but I'll try to explain the whole story… if I just change your name it should be fine." As the three of them got up to their feet – it wasn't that easy for Naruto and the weakened vampire but they managed – Kiba added one more thing, "By the way you look so much like her. Well in a taller, guy version but you know what I mean."

"Can we meet somewhere tomorrow?" Naruto asked hopefully, "I really wanna know… more about her. And… do you also know if… my father…?"

"He's doing just fine," Kiba made a little reassuring smile, "you'll meet him too in a week if you come with me."

"Yeah we'll come."

The three went to walk up the stairs. Kiba gave back Sasuke's personal items and he just gave a slight nod to thank him. Naruto entered Kiba's digits in his phone and promised to call the next day. He really wanted to meet in better circumstances to talk.

Naruto took Sasuke's hands and closed his eyes, starting to visualize their hotel room.

"Naruto don't," the raven said urgently and he reopened his eyes.

"What is it?" Kiba frowned, intrigued and a little bit freaked out at the same time.

"Don't use your powers now," Sasuke pleaded, searching his eyes desperately, "You're too weak."

"And whose fault is that?" Naruto sighed, "Look, I really don't wanna get into a fight with you, but right now, I'm so tired that if I don't teleport I'll fall asleep on the god damn sidewalk and I don't think you're in any position to argue either. So unless you got a better solution…"

"Did you say teleport?" Kiba's eyes widened. "You can actually do that?" Naruto nodded more to shut him up than anything. It didn't work. "Dude that's awesome! I so wish I could do that! Hey maybe I can! Just tell me how you do it?"

"Another time," Naruto said firmly. Without one more word, he closed his eyes, gathered his remaining energy and transported them back to their hotel room. He was successful but as soon as his feet were touching the floor he felt incredibly weak and his knees bucked. He passed out in Sasuke's arms; everything went black.

For hours, and hours, Naruto was in and out of consciousness, assaulted with fever. But Sasuke was constantly by his side, taking care of him, so Naruto didn't feel lonely, or cold. He knew that he was going to be all right.

And throughout all the feverish dreams and hallucinations, the thoughts of his long lost family, who he would most likely meet very soon, there was one more thought at the back of his mind. If Sasuke was ever in trouble, then Naruto would go out of his way to save him, like he'd just done at Kiba's place, he'd do it all over again, without hesitating, no matter what. Because he was sure of it now, Sasuke would do the same for him.


	18. New ally

**18. New ally**

Naruto slept for twenty four hours. Sasuke was by his side the entire time. Needless to say they couldn't call and meet with Kiba right away as they had planned. Naruto needed to recover first. The whole time, Sasuke was so worried, and he didn't get any sleep. He paced back and forth in the small hotel room, opened the window to get some fresh air, only to close it again in fear that it would be too cold for Naruto, and he simply stayed seated right next to the bed, watching over his Naruto's sleep.

This reminded Sasuke of how fragile Naruto was. Despite having immense powers, the tall blonde was still just a human being, and he could get sick, he could get into an accident, he could very much die at a young age and there was nothing Sasuke could do about it – except one thing of course. He could change him. Or could he? He wondered if it had ever happened before, a witch or sorcerer turned into a vampire. What happened then? Sasuke would have to get information on the matter; he just had to because it was something he thought about very often lately. If something happened to Naruto, he needed to know what to do. He didn't want to lose him, not ever.

But when Naruto did wake up he seemed much better. He was thirsty and a little bit hungry and he smiled when he saw the food and water Sasuke had already ordered from the hotel's restaurant. He sat up and first reached out to grab the bottle of water from the night table. Sasuke just sat and watched him. Despite having messy hair and sleepy eyes Naruto was beautiful. He always was. Sasuke just wanted to hold him in his arms and kiss him. But he didn't. He just watched, silent, as Naruto started eating.

Eventually he swallowed and tilted his head as he stared at the vampire. "I'm still mad at you, you know?"

"I know."

"You shouldn't have gone there by yourself." Naruto lifted his chopsticks to point at him accusingly.

"I know."

"But you were worried about me, so I think it's kinda cute. And stupid."

"Thanks," Sasuke said sarcastically, glancing away.

Naruto sighed and, putting away the food, leaned closer to his lover. They sat face to face, really close, Naruto on the side of the bed and Sasuke on the chair. The blonde looked down and took pale cold hands in his.

"Just… don't put yourself in danger like that. It was my second time seeing you all… bloody and… and almost dead, I guess…" Naruto sighed again. He didn't really know how to put it but Sasuke understood. He was talking about that time when Orochimaru had attacked and tortured him. The blonde went on, "It was one too many."

"You looked almost dead too, you know?" Sasuke changed the subject, "You had a bad fever and like, hallucinations and agitated sleep and stuff. You look better now but your skin was pale and you were shaking the whole time and…"

"Shh…" Naruto shook his head, "It's not a big deal. So I was sick for the first time in my life? It happens. Maybe the stress, jet lag, and just… everything…"

"Your powers," Sasuke said what Naruto couldn't. "You used them too much."

"Maybe," he admitted, and pulled away. Getting up to his feet he yawned and stretched his tall, lean body. He only wore boxers – Sasuke had undressed him for his comfort – but he didn't seem to mind. He didn't comment on it, anyway. He just said, "I need a shower…" And with that he disappeared in the bathroom. He locked the door so Sasuke couldn't join him. Maybe he needed some time to himself.

**F & I**

Sasuke had no idea how right he was, in fact. Naruto took his time in the shower. Not only did he clean away all the dirt and sweat accumulated on his sick body, well he thought a lot. Actually he was freaking out. Had he really used his powers too much? Was it having counter effects on his body?

He'd seen how worried Sasuke was. And he didn't want to make things worst so he kept all this to himself. Of course, he was also thinking about meeting his sister and father really soon. Maybe even his uncle. Kiba hadn't mentioned him but maybe he was still around too. The Uzumaki was looking forward to meeting these three people, now more than ever.

After his long shower he rummaged through his suitcase and eventually put on stylish blue jeans, fitted black undershirt and slim black button down shirt. He looked quite good in those clothes – they were Sasuke's actually. The raven didn't even care, in fact he was himself clad in Naruto's black and blue striped t-shirt right now, with black skinny jeans. It looked cute on him, but maybe Naruto was biased.

"Look at us," he smiled as he returned to sit on the bed, picking up his cell phone, "wearing each other's clothes."

Sasuke walked over to the window, muttering, "… First ones I found so…"

Naruto rolled his eyes, still smiling; yeah, right. He was tempted to do something he hadn't done in a while; read Sasuke's mind. But he didn't. Not only he knew Sasuke hated that, but also he'd just been sick possibly from overuse of his magical powers so perhaps he should keep it down for a while.

As Sasuke opened the window and glimpsed outside, Naruto finally realized what time it was as he checked his cell, 4 am, one full day after what happened with Kiba. Maybe he should wait a little before calling. Normal people didn't call each other at this hour. Well, they weren't exactly normal people, but still.

"I'm gonna wait a couple hours," he looked up at his boyfriend.

Sasuke just nodded, still standing right next to the window. The blonde put away his phone and placed his hands in his jeans pockets as he slowly made his way over to the vampire. Hesitantly he reached out to touch the small of his back, then slid his hand completely around his waist. Sasuke turned around in his arms, and his dark eyes were so beautiful behind long black eyelashes. Perfectly combed raven hair framed his delicate face. Without a word they leaned even closer, and just held each other close for a few moments.

Naruto's hair was still wet and dripped a little onto Sasuke's shoulder. But it didn't matter. Sasuke kissed his neck and whispered sweet words in his ear.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I love you, so much."

A soft smile curled Naruto's lips as he pulled away slightly. He tilted his head, just a little, to join their lips into a sweet kiss. He lifted tan fingers to replace some black strands behind his ear as he pulled away again. Blue gaze trailed on Sasuke's delicate, pale neck. Flashes of Sasuke hurt in Kiba's basement came back to mind and he frowned. He kept his hand on his neck. Thank god he had been able to heal him.

"Does it still hurt? Are you really okay?"

Sasuke's resolve seemed to fade. He shook his head and his legs trembled and he held onto Naruto for support. He buried his face in the crook of his neck, closing his eyes. Naruto frowned as he held him tight; he wouldn't let go, he wouldn't let him fall. But he needed to know what was wrong.

"Sasuke… don't make me read your mind."

Immediately he pulled away. "Are you an idiot? I won't let you use your powers. Not yet. We need to figure this out… What happened to you…"

Sasuke was weak, and it hurt the blonde to see him like this. He went to lie down on the bed. His tall, lean body rolled on his side, back facing Naruto. But the young man stepped over to the bed and placed a hand on his trembling shoulder.

"You're thirsty?"

Sasuke flinched. Well, it was only logical, Naruto thought. His boyfriend was a vampire and, he had learned, solution to pretty much everything was blood for these guys. The raven misinterpreted his intentions and smacked his hand away.

"I'm not drinking your blood… don't even think about it."

"I know," he was annoyed but kept his voice calm, "Believe me, I don't wanna pass out again. But you know what? This is all Kiba's fault. Okay maybe not all but partly anyway… I'll convince him to give you some blood."

And Naruto did just that. Well first they both got some more rest, each sleeping on their side of the bed. Naruto wasn't really sleepy anymore though, so for long moments he just watched the raven, sometimes caressing his hair or his skin lightly. He didn't like this situation. Even though their reason for being mad at each other was nothing more than their worry and feelings, well it still sucked. Naruto wanted their relationship to be fun and spontaneous like before.

He waited at 6 am to call Kiba, and even though it was still early, he deemed the situation enough of an emergency. Sasuke wasn't doing too well, he thought worriedly as he brushed the black hair out of his lover's face. He was possibly even paler than normal and his skin even colder. Clearly he wasn't fully recovered, and now it was Naruto's turn to look after him.

A tired, raspy voice answered in Japanese. Except for the "moshi moshi" part Naruto couldn't understand much.

"Um, Kiba, it's me Naruto…"

"Oh… Naruto… you were supposed to call me yesterday. Everything okay?" He had switched to English as soon as he'd heard Naruto's voice.

"Not really," he sat cross-legged as he glanced down at the sleeping raven, "Sasuke still needs blood and he won't take mine 'cause I'm still sick – or he thinks so, anyway. So I was wondering if you could come help out. And then we can talk."

"Sure I'll do it but um… you have to promise never to tell my mother, in any circumstance…"

"I promise," Naruto shrugged.

"All right, I'll just… get up and get ready and then I'll call you back."

"Okay, thanks."

"Later." He said then hung up.

An hour later, Kiba ended up just texting him that he was ready to come meet them, and Naruto replied by sending him the address of the hotel and their room number. Then all that was left was to wait for him.

When he did arrive, Naruto was pacing the room; unknowingly doing the same Sasuke had done a few hours before. As he heard knocking he hurriedly opened the door to Kiba. His short brown hair was slightly damp and his black jeans and red t-shirt were clean but sort of wrinkled, suggesting he never really took the time to fold his clothes.

"Hey, glad to see you're doing better," Kiba said.

"Yeah," Naruto replied shortly as he closed the door. He turned to look at Sasuke, then drifted his gaze to Kiba again, "So you think you could give him some blood?"

And by that he meant, please do it, now. Kiba seemed to get the hint. He nodded and walked over to the bed. He reached out and shook Sasuke's shoulder hesitantly. He looked at Naruto behind his shoulder. The blonde nodded.

Sasuke was waking up. He moaned and pressed his hand to his head as he opened blurry black eyes.

"Hey blood sucker. We're gonna need you to… well, do what you do best…" Kiba shrugged awkwardly and offered his wrist.

Naruto stepped closer, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.

"Hn… you stupid dog… I don't want your blood…"

Kiba's brown eyes widened indignantly, but before neither could speak or worst, hurt each other well Naruto stepped in. One insistent glance was all Sasuke needed, apparently.

Keeping his onyx gaze locked with Naruto's deep blue eyes, showing him that he was resigned, he took Kiba's offered wrist and sank his teeth in the fragile skin. Kiba screamed out in pain.

"You blood sucker bastard! Argh… Fuck. Shit."

"Kiba please just bear with it he'll heal you right after…" Naruto stepped even closer, worried.

But Sasuke remained reasonable. He didn't drink too much. Kiba barely felt dizzy. As promised Sasuke healed his skin right after. Naruto felt a sort of twinge of jealousy inside of him when Sasuke licked the skin of Kiba's wrist. But he shook his head. He was just being silly. Besides the two guys seemed disgusted afterwards. Both jumped to their feet and stepped away from each other. Then they entered a glaring contest from across the room, with Naruto in the middle.

"Your blood tastes awful," Sasuke said.

"Good," Kiba spat out.

Naruto cleared his throat, "Thanks Kiba."

"We're even now," he shrugged.

"You didn't owe me anything," the vampire replied harshly.

Still glaring, Kiba crossed his arms, "I was talking to Naruto! I hurt you, and if he loves you half as much as I love Miku, then he must've hated my guts for it. But I know I don't owe _you_ anything. You were stupid enough to come over to my place alone, you got what you deserved."

Sasuke was unfazed, but Naruto could tell that he was fuming on the inside. The blonde glanced sideways at Kiba and crossed his arms as well.

"He was worried about me, okay?"

"Why?"

"Because… he thought I was sick because I overused my powers and he wanted to find out if that was possible."

"Oh," Kiba shrugged, "I don't know. My mother made sure my sister and I never overworked ourselves so…"

He instinctively reached out to connect with Sasuke's mind, without thinking. But Naruto was certain that this power couldn't be so bad, or exhausting. It was really easy for him to do that, especially with Sasuke, it came almost naturally. He just wanted to know what Sasuke was thinking, how he felt, because this was killing him.

"_Are you okay?"_

"_I'm fine. And I thought I told you not to do this, and not to use your powers."_

"_I'm doing it 'cause we're not alone. And this particular ability is fine I just know it. Sasuke… would you rather I spend some time with Kiba and leave you alone?"_

The thought saddened him but he could see that Sasuke wasn't too comfortable around the Inuzuka. He nodded ever so slightly.

"_You should. Spend the day outside for once. I'll just stay here."_

This little mind conversation happened really quickly and Kiba didn't notice. He eventually shrugged and asked Naruto if he wanted to grab some breakfast.

"I'm starving man… and I think we've got lots of stuff to talk about."

"Yeah," Naruto made a little smile.

The first slivers of sunlight flooded in the room and he felt sad that Sasuke couldn't come outside with them. After glancing one last time at the raven, Naruto left with Kiba.

As they walked and made their way outside the building, Kiba exploded, flailing his arms about as he spoke, "Okay, first thing man, why, why are you dating a blood sucker? Tell me. Cause I don't get it."

"He was a human before becoming a vampire Kiba."

The two young men stepped outside on the sidewalk. Naruto shivered slightly in the cool morning air.

"Yeah but he's a blood sucker!"

"Look, when I first met him I didn't know. We started dating and I really liked him… but then everything happened so fast. I got my powers, and I found out about vampires and… I wasn't sure if it would work out… but it did. We talked a lot and… he's not a bad person. Well I guess he was for a while but, not anymore."

"Oh, so it's like that! He's a bad boy and you think you can _change_ him. Man you're just like my sister."

Naruto glared, "No it's not like that! I don't just think I can change him. I already changed him. It's different."

"Okay, whatever, let's just drop it, cause I don't think I can understand, ever. Your sister thinks it's weird too by the way."

"You told her?" Naruto felt a pang in his chest. He was anxious all of a sudden; what if his family rejected him before even knowing him because of this?

"Yeah she said it was weird. Then she asked if he was hot," Kiba rolled his eyes. He then muttered, "I told her no but something tells me she might disagree…"

Naruto felt a bit reassured. So maybe it wasn't so bad after all. He actually smiled at hearing those words.

"How is she?"

"You're probably asking the wrong person," Kiba smiled back, "but all I can say is that she's awesome. I mean I'm in love with her. She's amazing. She's funny, she's smart, she's beautiful…"

The next hour was spent talking about Miku, actually. But Naruto didn't mind. He really wanted to hear as much as possible about her. So as they sat in a coffee shop open 24 hours Naruto listened to Kiba rant about his girlfriend, a smile on his lips.

"So hear this in high school I was in the football team, and she decided to start her own little cheerleading squad, it was so great! Can you imagine how hot she was? Everyone loved her."

Naruto could imagine. After all, Kiba had described her as Naruto's female version. And not that the male wanted to brag but, he wasn't bad looking at all.

"We went to the graduation dance together, but just as friends," Kiba rolled his eyes, "man I was so disappointed. She made me wait so long!"

"When did you guys finally get together?"

"Last year, just a couple months before she left. It was also the last time vampires showed up in town. My mom kicked their asses but she was a little too late and we were, y'know, bitten…" Kiba lowered his voice, and took a sip of coffee.

Naruto did likewise. "So you guys discovered your powers together?"

"Yeah! Well not really, to be honest," he chuckled, "but that was a traumatizing experience, and we both needed… something more, after that, I guess. After seeing death from so close I realized just how much I loved her, and I think it was the same for her."

"I understand."

After all, a series of unfortunate events had only brought him closer to Sasuke. In the mess his life had become, he needed something to hold on to. And it wasn't just that of course. He really loved him. So he could relate to Kiba's story, to an extent.

"It really sucks that she had to move," the brunet said thoughtfully, "it was fun before, living just five minutes away… now it's an hour by train. Not so bad but still… But you know what? I asked to be transferred in Kyoto for the winter semester so I can live with her. Still waiting for my answer but maybe in January I can move there with her."

"I hope that works out for you," Naruto said sincerely. He glanced out the window at the sunny day, and the street full of people and cars, and he let his thoughts drift back home. He'd momentarily given up on school, on his friends, even on his adoptive father. What would happen if he went back? Could he just pick up where he'd left things?

"Yeah," Kiba went on, "I hope so too. And hey maybe you can live with us? I mean Miku has wanted to meet you her entire life! She'd be thrilled if you could stay. You were born here so you wouldn't have any problem with immigration, I think? Anyway, I'm sure it'll be fine. And maybe we can come up with a solution with your blood sucker boyfriend right? We can try to be friends with someone who works at a blood donor clinic, and snatch a bag or two, here and there…"

Naruto burst out laughing, and nodded, "That's actually really considerate, Kiba."

The brunet seemed thoughtful as he sipped at his coffee. He looked at his cell and announced he still had an hour before his first class. Naruto questioned him on this, and he learned that Kiba was in the process of becoming a veterinarian, just like his mother and sister. In turn, Naruto told him that he was in art school, and also played basketball.

"What's Miku doing?" He asked after a moment of silence.

"She's in photography," Kiba smiled.

"That's great!"

"Yeah she's pretty talented. Wait 'til you see her work man, it's amazing. She's in a class right now, it's the real deal, with the old cameras and darkroom and all."

"I can't wait to meet her…"

"Next week!" Kiba exclaimed, making Naruto smile.

"You know, it's weird, the way you act, it reminds me of her, but not really at the same time… I guess if you guys had actually grown up together you would've been a lot more alike."

"I guess… it kinda sucks that our parents decided to separate us…"

"Yeah…" Kiba shifted uneasily, "you can ask your father to tell you more when you see him. I pretty much know the story but it's not really my place to talk about it. Ah, well, I can tell you that your sister thinks it sucks too. She was really lonely as a kid, before meeting me and my sister."

"I'm glad she had such good friends."

"Don't you have any childhood friends back home?" Kiba inquired.

"Nah I was kind of a weirdo. I do have friends but…" He shrugged. It just wasn't the same. His friends back home… they didn't really know him. Not completely, anyway.

"You're definitely a weirdo for dating a vampire."

"Ha! You didn't say blood sucker this time."

"Damn it," Kiba said and they laughed together.

Naruto got serious again though, as he leaned his arms across the table and looked deep into his new friend's hazel eyes, "I wanted to know, have you heard of… my uncle, on my mother's side, um… Uzumaki Nagato?"

"Yeah I saw him a few times. He changed his name though, so he couldn't be found like… your mother was. He's a nice guy but he's kinda weird."

"What do you mean?"

"He's really quiet. He keeps to himself a lot. That's the impression I got anyway. Miku seems to like him though. She sees him all the time now since he lives in Kyoto too."

Naruto felt happy at hearing this. It looked like he'd get to meet all three of them really soon.

They continued talking a little, about each other's lives, and some more about Naruto's family, too. Kiba was unstoppable when he started talking about Miku. It was endearing, really. He even left a little late. But he reassured Naruto that his class wasn't that important.

They parted ways, and Naruto went back to the hotel. He still felt a little tired and weak but at the same time he knew he was getting much better. Maybe he really had just overworked himself recently, and if he was careful enough it wouldn't happen again.

In the room, he found his boyfriend sound asleep, tucked under the sheets, and very much naked. Naruto smiled. If he'd taken the time to remove all of his clothes before going to sleep, then Sasuke was back to normal.

Naruto sat on the bed, his smile fading a little as lust filled his blue eyes instead. He pulled at the sheets to reveal more of the slender pale body, letting his tan fingers brush the sinfully smooth skin of his back. When he got to the curve of his sexy little ass Naruto felt his cock grew thicker all of a sudden. Sasuke turned him on so damn much, it was insane.

And then Sasuke made the most adorable sound in his sleep. As in, he whispered Naruto's name. Biting his lip, and holding his breath, the blonde trailed his fingers across Sasuke's thin hips, until he reached his cock. Immediately it twitched and Naruto smiled, looking up at Sasuke's beautiful face – still sleeping. But he was having a _special_ dream now that was for sure. Naruto smirked and started stroking him, slowly at first, then faster, and faster. And Sasuke moaned his name, which turned him on even more.

Naruto hurriedly took off his clothes, and tossed them aside onto the floor. He climbed on the bed and Sasuke was still asleep, looking very much troubled. Breathing heavily, Naruto leaned close until their faces were mere inches apart. With his hand he touched Sasuke's chest, then he slid it all the way down his abs, and finally he wrapped his fingers around his cock again, using precum as lubricant to jerk him off ruthlessly.

Naruto licked those beautiful, full pale lips and finally Sasuke's dark eyes opened. They were all blurry and sleepy and he was so damn cute. More like sexy. Both, really. Naruto smiled through the kiss and Sasuke responded by passionately thrusting his hips into his hand.

"Am I still dreaming?" The vampire asked in between two heated kisses.

"Yeah… which is why you won't be ashamed to admit…" Naruto kissed his way to his ear and whispered heatedly, "that you want me inside you."

"No," he protested, writhing and trembling as Naruto kept stroking him, "if this is my dream then I get to decide… ahh…r-right?"

"You're not in a position to negotiate."

Naruto smirked into his neck as he moved his fingers to Sasuke's entrance. He slid two fingers inside and started stretching him.

"You know you don't need to do this… even if you hurt me I'll heal right away…"

"I want to," Naruto replied.

Sasuke moaned heatedly as he was being stretched. He wrapped his pale arms around Naruto's thin and warm body fiercely and held him so, so tight. The moment was so intimate that they held their breath. And when Naruto shifted, withdrew his fingers, and replaced them with his cock, they locked eyes and it was simply perfect.

Sasuke repressed a scream, and arched his back when Naruto slid deep inside of him. The blonde made love to him with intense, passionate thrusts, and he ran his fingers across his pale, cold arms until their hands touched. He squeezed Sasuke's hands gently while leaning close to kiss his delicate neck.

"_I love you and I never want you to be hurt again."_

"_I told you not to do this."_

But they were both smiling as they joined their lips into a passionate kiss, tongues battling fervently. Their hands were still intertwined, and Naruto never stopped making love to him passionately.

Eventually he did release one hand, only so that he could resume giving him a hand job. All the pleasures at once made Sasuke go crazy. He used his free hand to entangle his fingers in thick, messy blonde hair.

They locked eyes right before coming, and all the love, lust, affection they felt for each other was revealed in that one single moment, in those deep blue eyes, reflected in almost black irises.

Naruto fell on top of him when he was finished, and Sasuke held him. They stayed like this for a long time.

At some point, after the silence had lingered and bliss had become relaxed aftermath, Sasuke asked him how his hanging out session with Kiba had gone. So Naruto rolled on his side and just held Sasuke's waist loosely with his arm.

"It was great, we talked a lot, you know…"

And Naruto told him. He didn't want to have secrets for his lover so he didn't leave out anything. When he would meet Miku and the others, well, he wanted Sasuke to be right there with him. When he asked the vampire if that was okay, though, he just frowned and said nothing.

"Sasuke?"

"I don't know if it's a good idea for me to meet them..."

"But I want you to." Naruto said stubbornly.

"We'll see."

Naruto decided to drop it for now. They could worry about that later. Right now he just wanted to relax, because he wasn't sure how much time of that they had left.


	19. Fading away

**19. Fading away**

Japan was everything Naruto had imagined and more. The two cities he had seen so far, Osaka and Kyoto, were amazing. Kyoto was particularly beautiful, actually, but Naruto wasn't here to visit. Not yet anyway. When he got off the train with Kiba in the evening, five days after they had met him in strange and almost tragic circumstances, well he was so excited to meet his family that he was losing his mind. He even called Sasuke with the fake name Kiba had made up for his mother, Ayame. It was a girl's name, Kiba's way of mocking Sasuke. Naruto called him that a couple times as a stupid joke. He wasn't himself, really. He never usually made stupid jokes. Well, not that stupid.

Sasuke stayed at a distance as Kiba led the blonde young man outside and to the meeting point they had decided with Minato and his daughter. The sky was dark and the air cool and windy. When Naruto saw them, he smiled, because they looked so much alike. Amongst all the people with dark brown and black hair, stood two people with blonde hair and blue eyes, and Kiba didn't even have to tell him who they were because Naruto knew. When they approached they smiled as well when they spotted him. The girl threw herself in Kiba's arms.

"It's so good to see you!" She exclaimed in Japanese. Naruto was starting to catch up on the language, which made him happy. "I can't believe you found him," she said as she let go of her boyfriend and turned to look at Naruto.

"Hey," he said, voice full of contained emotions.

Their father also stepped closer. Kiba smiled and made the introductions but there was no need. Well except for the last name; Naruto actually found out just now that it was Namikaze, since Kakashi had never told him. He thought it was a great last name. But he was still proud to have his mother's.

"It is so nice to meet you," the small blonde female eventually said before hugging him tightly. Naruto smiled and held her back, dropping his suitcase. This felt surreal. She was so pretty. She had long blonde hair with reddish highlights, deep blue eyes just like his, and she was overall a delicate and beautiful girl.

And his father, well, he was an older version of Naruto. The resemblance was striking, really. They just shook hands and the moment was intense, they were so glad to see each other, yet almost shy.

"I was almost resigned never to see you again," Minato admitted. They talked in English now.

"What was the deal with separating us anyway?" Naruto frowned, feeling a pang in his chest. They had lost all those years. They had lost the chance to get to know each other as father and son. They'd never get those years back.

But Miku and Minato exchanged a smile, and they chuckled before glancing away. Before Naruto could ask what the hell was so funny, Kiba answered actually.

"She's been telling him that for the past twenty years," he took his girlfriend's hand and shrugged, "so here you are meeting him for the first time and first thing you say, is the exact same thing."

"It was Kushina's decision," Minato eventually said, "but I'll explain all of it later if you want. But first I just need to ask, is Kakashi all right?" His voice became hesitant, "Did something happen…?"

"He's fine," Naruto reassured him, "don't worry I'll explain everything too."

"Let's go to my car…" Minato started but his daughter interrupted. She took out a digital camera from her purse.

"Let me take a few pictures first, please!"

Without waiting for permission she took a couple pictures of Naruto, Kiba and her father. Naruto tried to smile for the pictures but his heart wasn't really into it. He kind of wanted to hear the explanations as soon as possible. To be able to move on and truly appreciate his newfound family, maybe. Still, he played along, because he didn't want to hurt his sister's feelings.

Afterwards, they walked to the car, and glancing around, Naruto couldn't find any trace of Sasuke. Kiba followed his glance, and leaned closer, lowering his voice so that the other two wouldn't hear.

"He said he wanted to give you some privacy, and then he just took off. You didn't even notice. I think you hurt _her_ feelings a little," he chuckled.

"It's not funny Kiba." Naruto took out his cell and sent him a text. _Where are you? _

He got no answer. Naruto was a little worried and ashamed. How had he not noticed that Sasuke had left? Granted, he had a good reason, he was very much distracted by meeting his family for the first time, but still, Sasuke was his boyfriend. He loved him so much, and it would've been nice and comforting to have him close.

Minato drove a nice black Honda civic. Kiba was just staying for the weekend, so he hadn't brought much stuff. As for Naruto, he placed the suitcase which contained both his and Sasuke's things in the trunk. At some point, as the older man drove off, Miku did ask where his boyfriend was.

"Kiba said you'd bring him," she twisted herself in the passenger seat to look at Naruto.

"He'll… join us later," Naruto improvised. "Um… he wanted to give us some privacy first…"

"That's very considerate," Minato commented.

The rest of the drive was silent. It wasn't awkward but it wasn't far from it. Where could they possibly start when they had an entire life of catching up to do?

Naruto just settled for looking out the window at the beautiful city. The leaves had almost all fallen from the trees, but some beautiful red and gold remained here and there. The night life here was calmer than in Osaka, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Naruto liked this place already.

Miku started giving him some kind of a guided tour at some point. She pointed at many spots including her school where she studied photography. Naruto realized he didn't even know what Minato's job was yet so he asked.

"I'm a professor," he said, "when I met your mother, and Kakashi, we were all teaching English..."

"Now he's the English literature head of department at Kyoto University," Miku said proudly.

Well that explained why their English was so good, Naruto supposed.

Minato drove to a quiet residential area, where he pulled in a driveway in front of a small but nice house. Really, the place was adorable, and Naruto was especially impressed when he followed the others and stepped inside – beautiful, dark hardwood floors, nice furniture, pale walls, interesting paintings and art littering the area around the living room.

After Naruto had taken off his shoes and jacket, Miku took his arm briefly and decided to give him a tour. There was just one bathroom and two bedrooms. But she said there was no problem in letting him sleep in the living room, the sofa bed was comfortable. Naruto chuckled and replied that he wasn't gonna be difficult or anything. They stopped in front of some family pictures.

There was one of Minato and Kushina, and Naruto couldn't stop looking at it. He realized just how little he knew about them. They looked so happy on that picture, smiling, their arms around each other… so young, too. Come to think of it, Minato looked really young, forty, maybe. They must've had them at a really young age – that or the man just looked good for his age.

Miku leaned onto the wall and stared up into his eyes. "You know, even though I know the whole story and I can understand our mother's decision, I always thought it was stupid. And I always regretted not growing up with you."

"It wasn't your fault," Naruto shrugged, "you had nothing to do with it."

"Still made me sad," she made a little smile.

"I'm really, really glad to finally meet you. And that's all that really matters right now, isn't it?"

Her smile fading, she nodded, and tears threatened to fall from her eyes. But she held her head high, wiped her eyes and walked back to the living room. They passed a small room Minato clearly used as his at home office, and Naruto took a glimpse. There was a single ornate wooden desk with a laptop computer and a chair, and a couple of bookshelves lined the wall. Again, there were a few pictures. The one of Minato and Miku with a background of colorful fall trees was particularly adorable.

They finally sat in the living room, all together, while Miku and Minato served some green tea. Kiba and his girlfriend sat close on the couch. Even though they only lived an hour away, they were looking at each other as though they hadn't met in months. Minato sat in a sofa chair, and Naruto did likewise, across the room. The explanations started shortly.

Even though Miku, and even Kiba, had probably heard the story countless times, they stayed to listen. Minato told Naruto about Varin's minions locating Kushina twenty years ago. Naruto found himself wishing Sasuke was here with him, to listen and maybe ask questions. After all, this whole thing concerned him as well, somehow.

"Varin's minions?"

"Varin is a very old and powerful vampire, and he's always been after the Uzumaki…"

"No I know who he is," Naruto interrupted, and they seemed surprised, "but what do you mean his minions?"

"Some loser ass vampires he hired…" Miku snickered.

"How do you even know about him?" Minato inquired, crossing his legs, "Did Kakashi tell you?"

"No… that's a long story."

Minato nodded, and finished telling him his story first. To summarize, Kushina had sacrificed herself for her family's sake. And beforehand she had given instructions to Kakashi, to leave with Naruto without looking back. If the family was divided they were harder to track down. And if at least one of the kids survived, then she would've been successful.

"But you guys stayed here?" Naruto's eyes narrowed as he tried to understand.

"Yeah we decided to stay," Minato nodded, "because after Kushina died, I met Tsume Inuzuka," he glanced at Kiba, then back at Naruto. "She helped us defeat the vampires when they came for Miku. She saved us. So I know what you're gonna say, you could've stayed here with Kakashi. But Kushina didn't know that. She couldn't have known… and then it was too late. I'd lost contact with Kakashi, I didn't know where he went. I admit I never made much efforts to find you either," he added sadly.

"We thought maybe you were having a nice and normal life," Miku shrugged and made a sad smile as well, "You know, vampire and magic free life."

"I was," Naruto chuckled, "but that… kinda changed recently."

Miku nodded quietly, as her boyfriend threw his arm around her thin shoulders and held her close. Naruto glanced back at his father.

"Kakashi never told me anything, until I got attacked by a vampire, just like Kushina wanted. But how I know about Varin, well that's… because of Sasuke."

"Your vampire boyfriend," Miku looked down.

"I take it you guys aren't okay with it?" Naruto hesitated when he saw the expression on his father's face.

"No," he said, "we're not. Don't get me wrong, I'm okay with you being gay. I'm very open-minded, we all are. Miku's uncle Nagato is gay, too. You'll get to meet him tomorrow. But can't you choose a… human… guy? I mean I wouldn't be okay with Miku dating a vampire either. But," he added before Naruto could protest, "it's not really my place to say anything. I might be your biological father, but Kakashi's the one who raised you."

"Yeah he's not okay with it either."

"Then you should listen to him."

"Dad, at least let him tell his story," Miku pleaded.

"Yeah, of course, I'm sorry," he agreed.

Naruto told them. He left out many details. He just told them that Sasuke had known Varin, a long time ago, and he was definitely on their side. He wanted Varin dead. Only problem was, Varin wanted Sasuke dead to, and he was after him.

"I came here to find you guys, but I would've waited for the end of the semester. It's just… Varin was coming after us like, last week, you know. So we freaked out. We had to run away."

"What did Kakashi say about all this?" Minato asked.

"He… wasn't really okay with it. Actually, I should probably call him…"

They all nodded, and Naruto did just that. It was getting late. Miku hugged him and told him they would talk more in the morning. With Kiba they disappeared in her bedroom. Minato stayed with Naruto and they put the phone on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kakashi, it's me, um… Please don't hang up, like last time, let me finish. I actually found Minato and Miku, so… it was worth a shot coming here after all. Also, I need to tell you to be careful, cause Varin's probably in San Francisco as we speak, so…"

"Wait, wait, wait, you… found them?"

"Yeah Minato's with me right now," Naruto exchanged a glance with his father.

"Hi Kakashi, it's been a while. It's good to hear your voice."

"To be honest I never thought I'd speak with you again."

"I appreciate your trying to keep Naruto away from such a crazy life, I really do. But since he found out everything anyway, I'm not gonna be mad at him for coming here. You should do the same, don't you think?"

"What not being mad at him or going to Japan?"

"Both," Minato made a little smile, and Naruto smiled back.

"You really should come Kakashi, so we can all be together, even if just for a little while. Then when this whole thing with Varin is over I'll go back with you, or maybe we can stay here…"

"Hold on just a second Naruto, what are you talking about when this whole thing with Varin is over?" Minato asked.

"Yeah what are you talking about?" Kakashi repeated.

"I want to defeat him."

"That's impossible. Minato you should tell him about the spell on the Uzumaki family…"

"I already know about that!" The young man exclaimed. "But there must be a way, right? Besides the Inuzuka family can help us now."

"Let's talk about this another time, Naruto," Minato tried to keep his voice calm.

"Don't let him do anything dangerous," Kakashi pleaded through the phone.

"Don't worry. Now that I have access to your number I'll call you again very soon," Minato said. "Let's hang up for now; I don't want you guys to spend all your money on an international phone call."

"I guess you have a point," Naruto sighed, "well Kakashi, what do you say, are you gonna come here or not? We're in Kyoto, by the way…"

"I would love to come," he admitted, "maybe for the Christmas vacation. Not everyone is willing to leave right in the middle of the semester."

His voice held accusation and Naruto couldn't really argue with that. Oh wait, no, he could.

"Fucking Varin was coming to San Francisco to kill two birds with one stone, for your information, that being me and my boyfriend. So I think we had a pretty good reason."

"You could've at least told me! You left me a note, Naruto. A _note_."

"It was a long note… I did say not to worry…"

"That only made me worry more!"

"Okay, guys," Minato sighed, "we really should end this call now, and sleep on this, and talk again some other time."

"It's 7 am here but whatever."

"I'm sorry Kakashi," Naruto said sincerely, and they both knew he wasn't talking about the time. He was just sorry, for everything.

Kakashi cleared his throat, "Yeah, um, like Minato said, we should talk again soon."

"Okay, take care," Naruto said before hanging up.

There was a long moment of silence. Naruto was looking down at his cell, while Minato stared at him. It wasn't awkward, just… emotional, and intense.

"I am glad that you're here, you need to know that."

Naruto nodded. Hearing those words did make him feel a bit better. He looked up.

"And Sasuke… can he… stay here during the day? It's okay if you don't want to, I'd understand."

"Honestly, I'm not really comfortable with that," he said.

Another nod. But he felt sad. He knew that Sasuke was a vampire. He knew that he'd done terrible things in his past, due to the fact that he was a vampire. But he was still the person he'd chosen to share his life with, for now anyway. And he just wished _some_ people would respect that. Well tough luck.

In a silent agreement they unfolded the sofa bed and got it ready for the night. Afterwards Minato looked at him for a long time, then told him good night and flicked off all the lights.

**F & I**

Naruto couldn't sleep. He held his phone in his hands. Sasuke still hadn't texted back, or called, for that matter. He was starting to worry. He thought back about their relationship. Funny how, he'd just met Minato and Miku for the first time – and Miku's boyfriend Kiba – yet he was thinking about Sasuke. He just wished he could've been with him the whole time.

Their relationship had been like a roller coaster ride, ups and downs, and more ups and downs. He remembered meeting him for the first time, and being really into him. Then discovering the truth about vampires, and being pissed at Sasuke for using compulsion on him… But he'd had to save him from Orochimaru. And looking back he didn't regret going out of his way to save him, even if it meant using his powers too much when he'd just found out about them. Of course he didn't regret it. He loved Sasuke. He'd loved the whole 'kidnapping' thing in Colorado. In fact he was smiling as he lay down on his side and looked out the living room window. No one had bothered shutting the blinds. The neighborhood was nice here, lots of trees, beautiful houses.

Naruto was smiling as he thought of his boyfriend, and all the moments they had shared together. Yet his smile faded when he remembered one thing. The story of Sasuke's past. Of course. Kyoto. This was where Sasuke was born and lived his human life, so many years ago – hell, six centuries ago, was it? Naruto sat up with a start. What if being here troubled Sasuke so much that he couldn't handle it? He hadn't been here in so long. And now Naruto was forcing him to come back, and he hadn't even realized…

He had a good reason for being distracted of course, seeing his family again and all… But he still felt guilty. So Naruto jumped to his feet and started gathering his clothes. Jeans and t-shirt were thrown on hurriedly and then he shoved cell phone and wallet in his black leather jacket which he also threw over his shoulders. He put on his black sneakers and wondered if it was okay to leave the door unlocked. He shrugged as he noticed that it was already unlocked anyway, so the others probably didn't care.

And he went outside. He shivered as he started walking, and shoved his hands in his pockets. The night was cold. The streets were deserted. Naruto didn't even realize how reckless he was being. After all, he was in a city he didn't know at all, and in which he couldn't even read the street names. And he was wandering around aimlessly in the middle of the night. Well the thought did cross his mind, but finding Sasuke seemed more important.

So he called him. It went straight to voice mail. Naruto made a noise of displeasure as he shoved his cell back in his pocket. Stupid vampire. Where could he be anyway? Maybe he'd gone to see the location of his old home, where he'd killed his family under Varin's orders. How joyful. Now Naruto was even more worried. Sasuke couldn't be feeling so well thinking about all those things again. Well, only problem was, Naruto had no idea whatsoever where said location was exactly. Sasuke had never specified.

He walked, discovering Kyoto at night. Many things were similar to Osaka in the city center, of course. The pubs, restaurants stayed open until late, some of them mostly filled by tourists and foreigners, actually. Naruto walked for a long time before trying to call Sasuke again.

It went to voice mail again. Of course. Well this time Naruto left a message. And if Sasuke was too much of a technology retard to actually listen to it, well then he'd be really pissed. Cause he needed him to listen to what he had to say.

"Hey Sasuke… um… where are you? I really need you right now, you know? You're supposed to be my boyfriend asshole. I can't believe you just disappeared like that, and you're not even answering your stupid phone. By the way I know this must be hard for you, being in Kyoto after all this time… Must bring back lots of memories, not only good ones huh?" Naruto cleared his throat, "Anyways, listen, I'm kinda lost right now. I'm just… walking. Downtown. Or wherever this is." He glanced around, and went on, "Anyway I'm staying over at my father's place for the night, probably for a little while… I met my sister," he smiled through the phone, "she's awesome, but we knew she was gonna be awesome, right? I mean she's my sister," he chuckled, "anyway I'm sorry I'm rambling, I just wish you were with me right now, you know? Just… call me back. I mean I can always use my powers to get back there but last time that happened I was out of it for a couple days so I don't know I'm kinda scared. I guess I'd like it if you were with me to help me find my way back. You're good at that. You always find your way. Okay so it probably helps that you can actually read the signs…" Now he really was rambling. He finished, "Just call me back all right?"

The male sighed, and resumed walking. Three minutes later his cell phone rang, and he picked up, hopeful.

But it was just Kiba.

"Hey man, with Miku here we're still up you know? We wanted to hang out with you a little and we realize you're gone…? That's not cool now your sister's worried."

"Tell her not to worry, I'm fine. I just needed to get some air…"

"You're looking for your blood sucker aren't you?"

"Would you stop calling him that? And yes, okay, I'm looking for him. Is that so wrong?"

"Where is he gonna crash during the day, anyway? I don't think Minato would want him to stay here."

"I know," Naruto said, annoyed, "he'll probably just find a hotel or something."

"Yeah… anyway, are you gonna be okay to come back?"

"Yeah I'll probably just… use my powers," he said.

"Man that is such a neat power. I told Miku and she wants you to make a demonstration soon. She wants to see if she can do it too."

"Sure we'll exchange tricks for sure," Naruto smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

They talked some more than he hung up, promising he'd be back soon. He ended up sitting on a bench, shivering slightly as the cold wind blew in his long blonde locks. It was great meeting these new people and all but there was something missing. He'd come here with Sasuke for a reason – and it wasn't just because he could read the signs and speak the language.

He wanted Sasuke with him so he could actually talk about his feelings, his confusion, his powers, his family's past, and so many other things. Sasuke was supposed to be that person for him, a friend, a lover; it didn't matter, as long as he listened. But he wasn't there.

The music the pubs and bars here played was so different from the music back in the States. For some reason this, more than anything else made Naruto feel a little home sick. Maybe it was the timing, too, and the fact that he was tired and lonely right now. He got up, and started walking again. He didn't want to go back just yet. If only Sasuke could call him…


	20. Passionate reunion

**20. Passionate reunion**

Sasuke only called him two days later. Of course, Naruto had been extremely worried the whole time. But his family kept him busy. He'd met his uncle Nagato and his boyfriend, a cute thirty year old guy who looked much younger. His name was Kamijo and he wasn't a wizard or anything, but he was actually a cop and a big fan of fire arms. He prided himself in saying that if vampires were ever to attack their family, he'd be more than willing to help.

Nagato and Kamijo were pretty cool. Except for the fact that they hated vampires with a passion. Everyone did in the family, which was understandable since vampires had killed Kushina. Naruto could understand their feelings perfectly well but it still sucked that they would never be acceptant of Sasuke, it seemed.

Other than that well Naruto had spent an entire day practicing magical tricks with his sister, Kiba and Nagato. His uncle was skilled in controlling wind but especially the earth. Making him mad wasn't such a good idea if you wanted to avoid an earthquake. Miku was skilled in controlling fire, and she could transform in a big, powerful – and kinda adorable – fox which was as big as Kiba's white dog form. Kiba's only other power was telekinesis. Needless to say, the three were extremely impressed with Naruto's abilities.

When he showed them the teleportation thing, they had wide-eyed, shocked expressions. When he showed them what he could do with fire and wind, Miku and Nagato nodded appreciatively in turn, and promised to show him more tricks, which they did shortly after. As for the mind reading thing, they were also impressed, but not as much. Apparently Kushina had been able to do that, and Miku could pull it off but only when she concentrated _a lot_ and nothing could possibly distract her.

At the end of the day Naruto felt exhausted, and he finally asked them if they'd ever been sick due to overuse of their powers.

"Yeah," Nagato said as he leaned against a tree, and ran long fingers through the dark red locks of hair framing his face, "when I was your age, actually a little younger, and I unlocked my powers I used them all the time. I mean when you can get something just using telekinesis, right? You do it. You don't even have to get up. I think I'd spend entire days constantly using my powers. And I did get sick, yeah. My head hurt so bad, I still remember…"

Naruto stepped a little closer to him as he listened intently. Then he nodded, glancing up at the cloudy sky, "Yeah I got really sick too… and actually I'm feeling kinda off right now."

"That was enough for today I guess," Nagato said.

The next day Kiba and Naruto went to visit Miku's school, more specifically her photography department. She showed them some of her work. She was very talented, and Naruto was glad to see they both had artistic personalities. There would be an exhibit of the students' work at the end of December, and a lot of her pieces would be in it. The two guys promised to go. Miku was incredibly happy as she spent time with them, and it was contagious.

Still, whenever Naruto glanced outside at the sunny day, he wondered where the hell Sasuke was. Was he at least safe from the sun? How did he spend his nights? What was going on anyway? What if something bad had happened?

In the evening they saw Kiba off at the train station. He had to go back home, to study hard and pass his exams, while waiting to see if his request to be transferred in Kyoto university would work out.

And that's when Sasuke called him. Miku respectfully stepped away on the street curb to give him some privacy as he talked with his boyfriend on the phone. But as he glanced at her, Naruto could tell she was curious.

"Look who finally decided to give a sign of life," Naruto said angrily.

"I wanted to give you some time with your family. Listen, I've been doing a lot of thinking…"

No matter how angry he felt, Sasuke's deep, familiar low voice was the best music to his ears. And then what he had said sunk in. Oh god, was he trying to break up or something?

"And…?" Naruto held his breath, shivering slightly in the cold evening.

"Well you clearly need some time with your family so I thought I should back off…"

"You know what? I don't want to talk about this over the phone. Where are you anyway?"

"I found a motel… I wouldn't ask you to come but I kinda need my stuff…"

Naruto still had Sasuke's things in the suitcase back at Minato's place, after all. So Sasuke gave him the address to his motel, and said that he was gonna be waiting for him tonight.

"You better," the blonde snapped before hanging up.

With Miku they continued to head back home, and he ended up telling her everything. She sincerely wanted to know. So he told her how he had met Sasuke, and how their relationship had developed quickly due to an intense mutual attraction, a series of dramatic events which had brought them closer, and also a deep understanding despite their differences. He simply told her the whole story and, as they stood in the driveway, next to Minato's black car, Miku touched his arm comfortingly. She looked up into his eyes.

"I'd love to meet him some time."

"Yeah?" Naruto was surprised.

"Yeah," she smiled, giving a slight nod.

Well that was an improvement. It would probably take more time for Minato and Nagato, but at least his sister was willing to accept his boyfriend – if they were still boyfriends after tonight, that is.

They went inside the house, but Naruto didn't stay long. He made sure Sasuke's things were in the suitcase, and then he got ready to go again. Well before he asked Miku for directions to get to that motel. So she wrote them down on a little paper, both in English and Japanese which would probably be helpful.

**F & I**

Naruto arrived at the motel at 11 pm. Without stopping at the front desk he directly went to the room Sasuke had indicated over the phone. He didn't want to know if the raven had given a fake name, or if he'd just compelled the person to give him a room. Naruto didn't care at this point. He just wanted to see him.

As the raven-haired vampire opened the door for him, the first thing Naruto noticed was how depressed he looked. He had only his worn jeans on. His black t-shirt and jacket were thrown across the floor. Sasuke scratched his messy hair as he turned around and walked over to the bed. He sat right next to an opened notebook which Naruto didn't recognize.

Closing the door behind him, Naruto stepped a little closer and dropped the small black suitcase which contained Sasuke's clothes. Then he took off his jacket, revealing a nice long sleeve blue tee over black skinny jeans. Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and frowned as he glared at his boyfriend.

"Are you gonna tell me what's going on?"

"I made some drawings," Sasuke said hesitantly, still looking down at the notebook. He looked so skinny and vulnerable right now and Naruto just wanted to reach out to him and hold him but he didn't.

"I don't care about that."

"Well you should," the raven said calmly.

Intrigued despite himself, Naruto stepped closer, until his knees almost touched the bed. He bent over slightly to look at the drawings. They were portraits, actually. But the atmosphere of the drawing was incredibly dark. Naruto repressed a shudder.

"Sakura and Varin," Sasuke said in a low voice, pointing at the portraits in turn, and still averting his eyes, "How I remember them anyway. They might've changed over the years, like Suigetsu dyed his hair, you know. But their faces will be the same so I tried to remember as many details as I could."

"Those are actually… very detailed…" Naruto mentioned hesitantly.

Sakura wasn't ugly but she wasn't pretty either. Her forehead was too large and her lips too thin. But her traits were still delicate and she could be considered attractive, he supposed. As for Varin, well, he was gorgeous. His face was perfect, his long hair framing it perfectly. He looked so beautiful that it was almost scary. Naruto looked at Sasuke, and they finally locked eyes.

"When you spend an entire century with someone, well…" the raven trailed off. Naruto just nodded. He remembered them well for sure.

"Did you at least listen to my voice mail?"

"Yeah."

"And you didn't call me back until now?" Naruto chuckled harshly.

"I wanted to but…" He looked down. Naruto pushed the notebook away and sat right next to his boyfriend, before cupping his chin and lifting his face.

"But what?"

Sasuke sighed, smacked his hand away and shifted to sit a little farther.

"But I didn't, okay? You were right. Being in Kyoto messed with my head. But I'm fine," he sighed again and glanced toward the window at the night sky, "I just thought… I should leave you alone with your family. Let's face it Naruto they're not gonna want me around. And I don't want to screw up your only chance of having a great relationship with them. Family is so important... even after all those years, I remember."

Sasuke sounded so sad, and bitter. Naruto wanted to just reassure him, and comfort him, but he couldn't. For some reason he was too angry. Maybe because he knew Sasuke was kind of right.

"You could've at least called me! I was worried!"

"Naruto you're acting like a little bitch," the vampire hissed, standing. He started walking over to the window.

But the blonde went after him and grabbed his wrist, whipping him around.

"And you're being a jerk! You said you listened to my voice mail! I really needed you, you know? I mean yeah they're my family but I barely know these people. I needed you with me Sasuke you're supposed to be my boyfriend!"

He burst out laughing mockingly. Naruto was shocked and took a step back. This Sasuke wasn't the one he knew and loved. This Sasuke was bitter and cynical, and uncaring.

"Your boyfriend? Who are you kidding. I'm a blood sucker, as your new friend Kiba so eloquently put it. What makes you think I haven't gone around killing people in this town over the past two days?"

Naruto paled. "Have you?"

A bitter smile lingered on Sasuke's lips as he held his gaze. He didn't answer. Naruto clenched his fists.

"Tell me the truth. Stop being an ass."

Sasuke said nothing, and his face remained expressionless. Naruto did something he hadn't even thought of doing in a while. He reached out with his powers and read his mind. He had perfected his abilities by now, and he made it so that Sasuke wouldn't even notice.

It turned out the vampire was terrified. He was terrified of losing Naruto. But he knew it was probably the only possible outcome, so he was trying to end it now, so he wouldn't get even more hurt by prolonging something that was doomed to end soon anyway.

Naruto felt angry at himself for even doubting him. He was such an idiot.

"You haven't hurt anyone. Of course you haven't... You're just trying to make me angry. It's not gonna work Sasuke."

Sasuke faltered and went to lean against the window frame. His pale, exposed torso revealed that he was trembling slightly. Sasuke was such a wreck. Naruto sighed and stepped closer slowly.

"I'm sorry I made you come here without even considering your feelings."

"It's okay," he whispered, looking into the distance, and letting the cold air blow in his messy black hair, "it changed so much, I barely recognized it…"

"But it's still the same, isn't it?" Naruto asked, still reading his mind while trying to be discrete about it. He just wanted Sasuke to open up to him more. "The city where Varin found you and…"

"What are you doing?" Sasuke spun and glared at him harshly. "Are you using your powers? Don't you dare…"

"What choice do I have?" He exclaimed, raising his voice, "Sasuke I know you're scared. But I want this, whatever this is, to work out! So don't _you_ dare making up stories about you going around and killing people. Because you know what? Even if you did I wouldn't give up on you. I couldn't," he said sincerely, voice shaking with emotion. "But then your prediction would come true about my family, wouldn't it? I'd have to protect you from them and they'd probably hate me. Is that what you want?"

"Maybe," he whispered, averting his eyes, "you should just leave. Just… if you ever see… that man," he pointed at the notebook, "then make sure you stay away from him. Make sure Kiba and his family are protecting you. They're not from the Uzumaki line so they can hurt him…"

"I know all that already," Naruto reached out and took his hand, "but… look at me, Sasuke, you don't really want me to leave, do you? I don't even have to use my powers to figure that out."

"But you did use them!" He yanked his hand away. "And that was one too many times Naruto! I'm sick and tired of this… of you."

"You don't mean that."

"You think you can change me, don't you? But you can't. I'm always gonna be a vampire. There's nothing you can do about it!"

"I already changed you, Sasuke," Naruto shook his head, a sad smile curling his beautiful lips, "You just don't realize it."

"You changed me, huh?"

It happened so fast. Sasuke bared his fangs while leaning closer, and then he pulled at Naruto's blonde locks and bit his fragile neck. The human winced in pain but he let him drink. He could've pushed him away, if not with normal strength, with his powers. He could've even burned him. But he didn't, of course. He let Sasuke drink all he wanted.

But, he hadn't expected him to take so much. Naruto's legs eventually went weak and Sasuke had to hold him up, keeping a slender yet so strong arm firmly around the blonde's thin waist. Eventually he stopped drinking, scooped him up only to throw him onto the bed. In one swift, extremely fast movement Sasuke jumped on top of him and kissed his lips harshly.

Naruto was actually turned on by this, even though he felt weak. He tried to hold him back but Sasuke grabbed his wrists and pinned them to the bed, above his head. He kissed him harshly, grazing his lips and his tongue with his sharp fangs. It tasted like blood in Naruto's mouth. But even though he felt weak his body was heating up. Sasuke was so hot, so beautiful, so passionate, so desperate. He was an emotional wreck and Naruto couldn't possibly be mad at him.

Not even when he practically tore his belt and jeans and yanked them off his body. Sasuke then proceeded to remove his own pants. He kissed Naruto's lips again, bruising them even more, while sliding one arm under his shoulder. Sasuke rolled him over so he could take him from behind.

He didn't even stretch him. The pain was immense. Tears dwelled in Naruto's eyes as he buried his face in his arms. Sasuke fucked him while keeping his arm around his waist to hold his hips up. At some point he sank his teeth in his neck again, and it hurt so much. Now Naruto was starting to freak out. What if Sasuke had really lost it? What if he killed him right here and there? Oh god what if he turned him into a vampire? Well really, that would be better than dying, but still, he wasn't ready for that.

Then all thoughts left his mind as he felt a wave of pleasure run throughout his entire body. It seemed, despite being so unprepared, well Naruto was feeling pleasure after all. Sasuke's passionate thrusts were making his body tremble intensely. Sasuke stopped drinking his blood, and instead kissed the injured skin of his neck repeatedly. He cried. Somehow Naruto knew that he was crying. The tears of blood fell, mixing up with the blood pouring from Naruto's neck, staining the sheets. And eventually the bloody tears healed the injury.

Sasuke came. He was breathing heavily but he didn't utter a single word. He just held a barely conscious Naruto in his arms. And realization of what he'd just done seemed to dawn on him. He pulled away, rolled him over, and brushed the messy blonde locks away from his face. He cupped Naruto's cheek with one hand, and searched his eyes. But he could barely keep them open.

"Naruto," he choked out.

In one last effort Naruto lifted his hand to take Sasuke's pale one and squeeze gently, "If that was you trying to make me hate you…" he whispered, "well it didn't work. Okay maybe a little…"

"You _should_ hate me," he forced out in a rasp voice.

"I can't."

Sasuke's lithe body fell on top of him, shaken with quiet sobs. Naruto held him weakly. He couldn't stay awake though; his weakened body wouldn't let him. So with the silly, stupid, emotional wreck of a vampire crying in his arms, Naruto slipped into unconsciousness.

**F & I**

He woke up to pale sunlight peeking through the blinds, warming up his body rendered vulnerable with last night's events. As blurry blue eyes opened, a bottle of water was handed to him and Naruto realized just how thirsty he was. He took the offered bottle and lifted himself up on his elbows to drink it slowly.

Sasuke sat on the floor, on the other side of the bed, where the light couldn't reach him. He was freshly showered, hair still damp and clean black jeans and gray button down shirt thrown over his skinny body. He looked up at Naruto, beautiful face saddened and guilt obvious in his dark eyes.

"Look," the blonde eventually said in a raspy voice, "I hate you for what you did, you're a bastard, but it's okay," he sighed, "I forgive you, you had your reasons, I provoked you… and…"

"No," Sasuke said firmly. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. I never asked for that. And you should never give it to me. Because I don't deserve it."

"Oh cut the emo crap…"

Sasuke stood and stared at him intensely. "I'm serious. If a human kills tons of innocent people, well he's thrown in jail for the rest of his life. And if he says he's sorry, and that he won't do it again, will others forgive him, just like that? Oh well if he's _sorry _I guess we can let him out? I don't think so."

"Sasuke…"

"Shut up. Just get dressed and leave."

Naruto was too weak to feel angry, despite Sasuke's harsh words. Besides, he knew that the raven was simply incredibly sad right now. So he got up and indeed put his boxers and jeans back on. But he stepped toward Sasuke and took his arm. The raven tried to step back but they had reached the wall, right next to the door. Naruto pinned him against it and leaned really close.

"I don't care about other people. Human murderers, or vampires, or whatever, you're not them. You're you, and I love you, and," he frowned, searching his words, "I know you didn't ask for it but I chose to forgive you. And the crap you pulled off last night, you never do that again, got it?"

Sasuke swallowed, looking straight into deep blue eyes. He tilted his head, and their lips met in a soft kiss and it tasted like blood. Naruto was confused, but then he understood what Sasuke was doing. He was healing his lips with his blood, actually. Naruto felt a nice tingling sensation, and then he licked his lips as they pulled away. No more cuts. He made a little smile, and chuckled.

"I'll take that as a yes, you bastard. Did I ever tell you…" he lifted tan fingers to replace damp black locks behind his ear, "you're lucky you're so pretty?"

"Naruto… you know we can't be together, right?"

"Oh come on!" He exclaimed, pulling away, and repressing the urge to smack him across the face. "Here I try to be all romantic, and make things right, and you go and tell me stuff like that? What the hell man?"

Sasuke leaned against the wall as though all strength had left his supernatural body. He let out a brief chuckle.

"I'm a vampire, and you're not. And you're never going to become one. So what's the point?"

"Who said I'm never gonna become a vampire?"

Sasuke looked into his eyes, and said, "You'd lose your powers."

"I… really? Since when do you know about that?"

"Two days ago. I told you I did a lot of thinking… I also called Suigetsu. He wasn't sure either but he asked Ino. I know she doesn't look like it but she's even older than I am. She's lived for a long time, seen a lot of things. She confirmed it. It's very rare, but if a person with magic blood becomes a vampire well they lose their powers completely. There's no in between. You've to choose. And I'm not asking you to choose, Naruto. You found your family now, where you belong."

Naruto bit his lip, and glanced away. He had to admit this wasn't an easy decision. Practicing spells and tricks with Miku, Kiba and Nagato had been amazing. And if they could fight off vampires well it gave him a sense of accomplishment. He just knew he was doing the right thing. But what if he became the very creature they were meant to fight? Wouldn't that be nonsense? Just when he was getting so attached to Miku and Minato, and even Kiba, Nagato and his boyfriend, well they would reject him for sure. And it would be the end of his life as he knew it.

"You changed, Sasuke," he finally said simply.

He remembered when Sasuke had kidnapped him with his black Ferrari, and they'd driven all the way to Colorado together. Sasuke had suggested changing him, with a devilish smirk.

"You used to… practically beg me to let you change me."

"I didn't know you'd lose your powers. And I… didn't care… as much as I do now," he admitted in a low voice.

Naruto sighed heavily, and stepped closer, only to wrap his arms around Sasuke's slender body, holding him tight. Sasuke held him back without a word. Naruto breathed in his sweet scent and kissed his pale, delicate neck.

"I'll think about it, all right? Just give me some time. But don't give up on us just yet – cause I haven't."

"You should go," Sasuke whispered as they pulled away. He glanced toward the window, "Enjoy the day, the sun…"

Naruto literally heard Sasuke's unspoken words, as he reached out to read his mind. _See what you'd miss out on if you ever take the decision to join me. _

The blonde just nodded and this time, if Sasuke noticed him reading his mind well, he didn't comment on it. So they parted ways.

As Naruto started to head back to his father's house, he shoved his hands in his jacket's pockets, and grew thoughtful. It was no use asking his family for advice on this. They would all freak out and tell him to not even think about doing such a thing. No, this was his own decision to make.

He thought back about Sasuke's drawings, and his warning to stay away from these people if he ever saw them. He recalled the almost frightening way Sasuke's pencil had rendered the exact details, encrusted in Sasuke's mind forever. And Naruto decided that, before pondering if he should become a vampire or not, he should work on finding a way to destroy those people once and for all.

* * *

><p>Hey guys, so, I don't really know what's going on with this website, are they taking down accounts with M content or not, and stuff... If you like this story, it's almost finished. There's something like thirty chapters in total... I don't really publish stuff on any other website.<p>

A while back, when I created this account I made up an email adress just for it. Not too complicated, darkloverkitsune hotmail com

So if my account is taken down and you feel like emailing me or finding me on facebook (you can find me with that email too) that would be cool. In fact you can add me whenever, no need to wait for my account to be taken down lol. Always fun to have friends with similar interests, y'know, anime and manga, and yaoi, heh. Anyway, if my account is taken down I can send you the rest of the story if you want it. Feedback is always welcome, whether it be on this site or not.

While I'm at it, I wrote a fiction story. Fantasy (no vampires though, lol), action, romance (very much gay, yes, lol), and I'm really not expecting anything out of this, but I thought, what the hell. If you guys crave a fantasy/action kinda story but also with modern themes and humor - yeah i mix the genres a lot - and y'know, a gay love story thrown in there let me know. Just thought I'd try this, since I personally think there's not that many novels out there with those themes together... But yeah if not, no hard feelings, I know you guys are here to read about Naruto lol, and that's perfectly fine.


	21. Dirty work

**21. Dirty work**

The vampire was getting impatient. He sat in some small, discreet coffee shop where his cousin had told him they could meet – except she was supposed to be here half an hour ago. He faked a smile at the restaurant's employee when he walked past his booth. Of course he hadn't touched his coffee at all. He would've enjoyed some blood though. But Varin had said they should play it low profile in San Francisco. Perhaps part of him still hoped to find either Uchiha or Uzumaki here. But they were clearly gone. Neji had already searched town, along with Sakura. Hinata would confirm that for him, and preferably give him some more information.

Hinata finally stormed into the restaurant, long hair windblown and out of breath. She looked so much like Neji – same jet black hair, pale white skin and strangely beautiful gray eyes. In fact she had become even prettier with the years, it seemed. Neji hadn't seen her in a while. He would forever be stuck at the age of nineteen, whereas Hinata was twenty one now. Even though she had most likely betrayed him, well he couldn't bring himself to be truly mad at her.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she said in a strained voice as she sat in front of him, still clutching her coat around her thin body, "the only decent excuse I could find to tell dad was that I needed to see Gaara, and then he asked tons of questions…"

"Gaara? I thought you had broken up with him."

"Yeah but my dad… doesn't really know about that," she brushed it off, "let's not talk about that."

"Right, I guess I should cut to the chase, even though it _is_ good to see you after all this time."

She smiled weakly, "Yeah. I just wish your new friends weren't after Naruto. I don't care whatever… magic he has. He's a really important friend to me."

"I know. And I'm willing to forgive you for betraying me."

"I didn't betray you Neji!" She exclaimed, and then lowered her voice even though there weren't any other customers sitting nearby. "He figured it out all on his own. He knew there was something up with me. He's always been really smart and observant."

"I find that hard to believe," Neji scoffed, remembering the blonde kid who used to date his cousin. He hadn't exactly pinned him down as smart and observant – more like idiotic and goofy.

"Naruto changed a lot," she said almost defensively.

She looked cold, so when the waiter walked by again, Neji stopped him, and compelled him to give her a coffee for free. Hinata glared at him.

"I can pay for it," she hissed.

"I don't like having to pay for things," Neji said.

They waited for the coffee. Hinata shook her head slightly and then glanced away. She looked disappointed.

"Well you changed too Neji. All those times, when I talked with you on the phone, I knew that you were… different. But I thought maybe you'd stayed the same person."

"Well you were naive. Of course I'm no longer the same. I'm immortal. And in exchange for giving me immortality I serve my master. It's as simple as that. The Uzumaki are his enemies. And Uchiha is too, although it's a little more complicated."

"What do you mean?" Hinata held her breath. "Is he gonna kill them?"

Neji chose to lie. "No, of course not. Don't worry about that. He just needs to talk to them, and get some things settled…"

Well it wasn't entirely false. When it came to Sasuke Uchiha, Varin's intentions were confusing. Neji and Sakura suspected their master was hiding things from them.

"Hinata," he leaned his arms across the table, "I just need you to tell me if you know where they are."

There was a long silence. Hinata was served coffee but didn't touch it.

"I don't know. And even if I did I wouldn't tell you. I'm done, Neji. I'm not helping you anymore."

"Okay," he said calmly, leaning back into his seat and crossing his arms, "I respect your decision. You should know that you're safe. Varin swore never to hurt my family or their descendants."

"Why is this Varin so special to you anyway?" Hinata frowned, shifting uneasily in her seat.

Neji chuckled. He looked down at their untouched beverages, then back up into his cousin's eyes. "He's only the most powerful being on this world. And he chose me as his close friend and advisor. I can only honor the position, don't you think?"

"No! You could always rebel, Neji! You don't have to follow his orders. Don't be a coward…"

"Let me give you an example. From what I know, that's what Uchiha did; he rebelled. So Varin had to keep him by his side by force. And then, when Uchiha escaped, it was only so he could spend the rest of his miserable years running away from Varin, constantly in fear. Who's the coward, the one running away from his destiny or the one living up to it?"

"Well let me say something I could never tell you over our phone conversations Neji. Congratulations on your new life. But I want nothing to do with it."

She got up and walked away, without ever looking back.

**F & I**

Neji adjusted his perfectly tailored gray suit as he exited the taxi. Then he stepped inside the five star hotel, and went to the elevator so he could reach the highest floor, and the suite Varin had rented. When he arrived, he found the male sitting on one of the comfortable couches, with his laptop computer open in front of him on the low table. He was as elegant as ever, also clad in a suit, black with thin white lines, with a white shirt underneath, and no tie. Recently cut dark brown hair framed his handsome face, the longest strands barely brushing his neck. He appeared to be around twenty five perhaps, although no one knew his real age. He was the oldest vampire out there, and no one knew his real story.

He looked up, locking his eyes with Neji's. Varin's eyes were an intriguing mix of gold and green. They were never harsh, but never kind either, always somewhere in between, and they seemed to be looking right through him and at his very soul. But Neji was used to it by now.

"Hinata doesn't know where they went," Neji said, sitting in a lounge chair, and glancing briefly at the glass of red wine the male was drinking.

"Doesn't matter," he replied smoothly. He crossed his legs, careful not to crease his trousers. "I already know Sasuke's in Kyoto."

"How?"

"I have my ways," he replied, and Neji just nodded.

Varin had many people – some vampires, some humans hoping to become vampires – working for him throughout the world. Maybe one of them had located Sasuke. Everyone who knew Varin knew he was after the Uchiha, although most people didn't know why.

Sakura arrived shortly after. She had done some investigating of her own. The slender female dyed her shoulder-length hair a vibrant pink lately. Her eyes were pale green, often circled with black, like today. She wore a black dress and knee-length boots.

"So I went to the art school and talked with some of Uzumaki's friends," she announced as she walked over to Varin and sat right next to him.

"And?" Neji inquired. It was thanks to him after all – well, thanks to Hinata – that they knew that information about Naruto.

"No one would tell me where he is, even under compulsion. They just don't know… Until I talked to this Jeremy person," she smirked, glancing sideways at Varin, "he told me he was gone to Japan. That's a start, right?"

"Thanks Sakura but I already found out Sasuke's in Kyoto right now," he said just like he had told Neji before.

"Oh," she said, and then glanced at the laptop screen. "Oh," she said again in understanding, "so you've been talking to that guy…"

"You remember him?"

"Vaguely."

"Well, he found Sasuke."

"That's great," a dangerous glint appeared in Sakura's green eyes, "that's really, really great."

Neji leaned back into his seat, uncaring. He'd find out what was going on soon enough anyway. It was always like this. He was the newest addition to the group. Sakura and Varin had been together for centuries. They had countless secrets, and sometimes they'd have an entire conversation using very few words. Neji wouldn't understand a thing, but it was the price to pay for the promise of eternity. Feeling a little left out didn't bother him in the slightest.

"But hear this, I found out something else too, from that Jeremy guy…" Sakura smiled, "It's about Suigetsu."

"I'm listening," the brunet turned to look at her.

Neji also listened intently to the conversation. Sasuke's infamous best friend Suigetsu; Varin and Sakura also seemed interested in that guy, for some reason. Perhaps for revenge's sake; killing Suigetsu to make the Uchiha suffer even more, or something of the sort.

"He was using a fake id around here but I figured it out when Jeremy described him," Sakura said, "anyways, he's in L.A. right now. With those two annoying girls…"

"So what do we do now?" Neji asked when the silence lingered.

Varin took a sip of wine, settled back in the couch, and his perfect lips formed a rare smile. "We should go to Los Angeles then. Pay them a little visit. We're in no rush, are we? This could be fun."

"What are you gonna do about Ino?" Neji inquired, "After all, she lied to you about Sasuke's location only a few weeks ago…"

"I'll think about it," the older vampire replied, although his tone of voice suggested that he'd already made his decision.

"I think you should kill her," Sakura said but she was ignored.

Instead Neji asked, "The fake name Suigetsu was using, did you memorize it?"

"Of course."

"It'll be easier to find him," Neji added. "He's probably using the same one in L.A."

"I'll leave it to you Neji," the brunet said, "we're leaving tomorrow."

**F & I**

Hanging out in bars, drinking, turning down strangers flirting with him, same old, same old – that was Sasuke's routine by the end of December. Naruto's adoptive father Kakashi had come to Kyoto for the Christmas break and now with the others they were playing one big, happy family. Despite Naruto's promise that he wanted things to work out between them, well Sasuke hadn't seen him in a while. But he respected that. He was the first to say that Naruto needed some time to reunite with these people.

From what he had heard, mostly in the form of text messages or phone calls, well Minato had moved his home office to the living room corner so Naruto could have his own bedroom in his house, however small, it was better than nothing. Miku and Kiba were doing great, especially since the dog shape shifter had received his answer for the request to be transferred in a local school. It had been accepted, of course. Naruto was glad since he liked Kiba more and more. He was happy that his sister had such an awesome boyfriend – his terms.

Sasuke didn't know what to think anymore. He felt guilty for that time he'd drank Naruto's blood without permission then fucked him violently. The blonde wasn't even mad at him though. He probably didn't even think about that incident any longer. But Sasuke did. And he didn't like it one bit. He didn't like that they were drifting apart. He missed Naruto more and more everyday. So the raven was distracted and paid no mind to the people around him.

He didn't notice the twenty five year old human constantly tailing him, until it was too late. The male was skinny, average height, had long blonde hair, which he always pulled up in a half ponytail. The look worked for him, since he rocked that somewhat androgynous, yet still bad ass style.

The evening he finally came to talk to Sasuke, he wore sexy skinny jeans with a white sleeveless shirt and a black vest left opened. He had several silver chains hanging from his neck. He ordered a gin tonic as he glanced sideways at the raven with a small smile.

At first Sasuke just thought it was another attempt to flirt with him. This particular bar was gay friendly, after all.

"Can I buy you a drink?" The stranger asked, glancing at Sasuke's empty glass.

"Sure," he shrugged. Why not take advantage of it? Compulsion had its limits after all. At some point people would start wondering why he wasn't even paying for his drinks.

So the blonde guy got him another one of those gin tonics. Sasuke, feeling a little tipsy already from drinking so much earlier that evening emptied his glass pretty quickly. The blonde smiled.

"I'm Deidara."

Sasuke thought about giving a fake name. Then he thought, hell with it, before giving his real name.

"Sasuke," the guy repeated, still with that seductive smirk on his lips, "I like it. So what do you do for a living?"

"Nothing interesting." He shrugged, then said, "Right now I'm just visiting the country with a friend."

Deidara nodded, and bought him another drink without asking first. Sasuke decided he liked this guy. Flipping his raven bangs aside he glanced briefly at the other people sitting in the pub. Yeah, they were clearly the hottest guys in here. They even clashed a little. Sasuke wondered what a guy like Deidara was doing in a lame bar like this but he didn't question it.

Sasuke looked down at his outfit before thanking Deidara and taking a few sips of the offered drink. He had been so bored these past few days that he'd gone shopping. He was wearing his new clothes right now – stylishly ripped jeans and black, deep v-neck shirt with a slim black zip up shirt currently hanging on the back of his chair. Yeah, he was going for a very gay look. As always, his long raven bangs framed his face nicely.

"Aren't you gonna ask what I do?" Deidara inquired, leaning his forearms across the bar counter.

There was Japanese pop music playing and a few people behind them got up to dance because they particularly liked that song, apparently. Sasuke absentmindedly registered all of that before turning his exclusive attention to the blonde male.

"You're gonna tell me anyway."

His smile widened. "I'm into firearms, actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Um… illegally or…?"

"Ha! You don't seem like a judgmental person, so I'll tell you. Yeah, illegally. Wanna come over and see my collection?"

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. Well, there was straightforward and then there was this guy. Either he was a psycho and wanted to kill him, or he just wanted to fuck his brains out. Not that Sasuke would let either happen but he was damn bored and he felt like going with him.

"I'm serious," Deidara bit his lip slightly then took a sip of his drink, before locking bright blue eyes with his again.

"Okay."

It would cure him of his boredom, at least. And the guy was human. Sasuke wasn't scared in the slightest. That guy probably just wanted a good fuck. Not that Sasuke was ready to give him that. He was like those lame humans in love now; he wanted Naruto, and no one else. It turned out, once you experienced that feeling yourself, it wasn't so lame after all.

Still, he followed Deidara outside the bar, since he had nothing better to do. The guy was clearly drunk, or maybe he was faking it a little but…

"You're hot, you know that?" He laughed as he clung to Sasuke's arm. He then lifted his hand to ruffle his raven black locks.

The vampire was amused for some reason. Hey, maybe he'd drink that guy's blood later. Not enough to kill him, of course. But he could have his fun. Suddenly he was thirsty. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan for the night.

"You're not bad yourself," he replied in a low, calm voice. The blonde beamed and the small chains at his hips clinked as he walked, still hanging onto Sasuke's arm.

The raven looked up at the night sky, and felt somewhat melancholic. Whatever happened to all those nights he'd spent with Naruto? Now they were drifting apart. And Sasuke was spending the night with someone else. Sure he wasn't gonna cheat, but it still sucked. Sasuke wouldn't like knowing that Naruto was spending the night with some other guy…

He followed Deidara to his apartment anyway. It was in the basement of some building… the vampire didn't even pay attention to his surroundings. He was lost in his thoughts. The alcohol was making his brain a little hazy.

The building was old. The walls in the basement were crumbling. Sasuke made a face as they stepped inside.

"Yeah this is more of a… storage place," Deidara said apologetically.

"Uh-huh…"

"Come I'll show you," the male threw him a knowing smile as he took his hand, "then we can get out of here if you want I've got another place…"

In the back, there was a small separate room with Deidara's collection of firearms. It was indeed incredible. There were so many. Sasuke actually got a little scared. Damn, that guy was dangerous. It reminded him of what Naruto had said about his uncle Nagato's boyfriend. Apparently he was a cop, and also very much into firearms. Of course he knew vampires existed since he always hung out with the Uzumaki and Namikaze family. So he was ready to help using those weapons… They could indeed be dangerous for a vampire if used correctly. Sasuke felt a shiver run down his spine.

But Deidara was smiling as he explained the characteristics of each gun. Sasuke relaxed again. It was actually interesting to listen to the male talk about those firearms with such passion. He knew the subject in and out, and whatever question Sasuke had, well he had the answer.

So they spent a lot of time talking. At some point Deidara poured some sake in two plastic cups and they just sat together on a worn couch. The door to the separate room was still open but they weren't discussing firearms anymore. They just talked about everything and nothing – the bar they were hanging out at before, this city, the culture, the music, and so on. He learned that Deidara used to live in Germany before coming to Japan.

When Sasuke asked him the specific reason why he'd come here, Deidara stayed silent. And the vampire realized the blonde hadn't even asked him anything about his own past. Also, he realized – but of course it was too late – that there had been something in his drink.

Sasuke's body felt heavy. He couldn't think straight. Not only was he slightly drunk, but now some sort of drug was making him very weak.

"What the hell…?" he muttered but Deidara said nothing.

He just watched as Sasuke dropped his glass and fell to the cold cement floor. The vampire grunted as he rolled on his side and clutched his small waist. His whole body hurt, and he felt sick.

"What the hell did you put in there?"

"A mix of really strong sedative and some drugs – you don't wanna know. Could kill a human but you'll be fine."

So he knew he was a vampire.

"Why?"

Sasuke brought one hand to his chest, unzipping his sweater. He felt like he was suffocating.

"Just doing someone's dirty work in exchange for a favor," Deidara shrugged.

"Who…?" He managed to keep his eyes open to lock them with icy blue ones. There was one name he really didn't want to hear. Of course this was the name Deidara spoke.

"He goes by Varin..."

**F & I**

When Sasuke woke up the old television was on in the small basement. His blurry dark eyes opened and focused on the screen. It was some horror movie with bad effects. Sasuke then turned his painful head to look at Deidara. He was still sitting on the worn couch, smoking some weed now. Also he just wore gray sweat pants, with a single dog tag necklace around his neck. His loose blonde locks fell on his shoulders. The male had two round scars, one on his lower abdomen and one on his left shoulder. Gunshot scars, surely, Sasuke thought. So he worked for Varin, huh? Great, just great.

Sasuke lifted himself up on his elbows but it took him almost five minutes to do so. He could barely move his body. Every muscle ached. This reminded the vampire of when he had gone to a long slumber underground, for so many years. He couldn't move at all, because of the lack of blood in his system. Well this was similar. There was no way he'd get out of here any time soon, if he didn't get help.

As Deidara finally noticed he was waking up, he turned off the television. He looked him over, thoughtful. At the same time Sasuke noticed he no longer had his sweater on. He just wore the v-neck tee and ripped skinny jeans. He also saw that there was a needle on the table… Sure enough he had needle marks in the crook of his elbow. Why weren't they healing? Was the drug making his body heal more slowly as well? Damn it…

"I've been giving you regular doses of sedative for the past few hours. But I figured I'd give you a break. It's sunny outside anyway so I don't recommend you try to leave. And please don't try to attack me…" Deidara lifted his thigh slightly, showing a gun hidden there, which he could very quickly reach with his hand.

The raven blinked and swallowed hard. God he felt dizzy. Trying to escape, or to attack? Was Deidara joking?

"I won't attack you, I can't even move…" Sasuke muttered and let his head fall back on the cold, hard floor. He growled in pain and curled up on his side, clutching his waist with one hand and gripping his messy black locks with the other.

"You're kinda really sexy when you're vulnerable you know that?" Deidara put down his almost finished joint as he breathed out. "But I'm not the kinda guy who'd take advantage of a situation like that. So you can relax. Do you wanna sit with me?"

Sasuke bent his legs slightly as he glared at him. Deidara rolled his eyes and got up, stepping closer. Without a word he took his arm and helped him to sit on the couch. Deidara was surprisingly strong.

As they sat next to each other Sasuke continued staring at him harshly.

"I can't believe you work for Varin. Why? He's an asshole."

Deidara folded his leg under the other and stared right back at him. "So? He's gonna change me into a vampire as a reward for capturing you. That's all there is to it."

Sasuke would've burst out laughing but he felt too weak, so he settled for a snicker.

"You actually believe him?"

"He was very convincing."

"He compelled you?"

"No. And yes I know what you're talking about. He didn't have to."

Suddenly Sasuke understood something. "So you met Varin back in Europe, and he made you come here…?"

"You're pretty smart, aren't you? Yeah, that's exactly what happened. Said he needed a guy here in Kyoto, cause you'd come back home sooner or later. Never told me why he wants you so badly though. But I guess I can understand…" He smiled, blushed lightly under Sasuke's stare and glanced away.

Sasuke repressed the urge to roll his eyes. "You're an idiot! He's not gonna change you. He'll just kill you! And you know what, I hope for your sake that he does!"

"What do you mean?"

"If he changes you then you have to follow his every order for the rest of your existence."

"That doesn't sound so bad. Guy was hot."

"Don't you have any self-respect?"

"Yeah. But I'd do anything to become a vampire. I'm sick, Sasuke. I have a heart condition. And I've been shot twice as you can probably tell – doctors said they had no idea how the hell I survived that. There are so _many _people are after me. I've done some fucked up shit in my life. I'm ex-mafia, to put it in a way that you can understand. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, I'm not gonna live much longer."

Sasuke thought quickly, and, as he started to recover some of his strength, said, "I'll turn you. I'll do it." He'd never done it before, but Deidara didn't need to know that. Besides, he was confident he could pull it off, even in his weakened state.

"Like I'll fall for that," the blonde chuckled, looking down as he took out the small gun from under his leg. He took off the safety and Sasuke froze.

He swallowed hard. He was starting to get scared. Not only of Deidara, but of Varin, of course.

"W-When is he coming, anyway?"

"Why are you so scared? He's not gonna kill you, is he?" He looked the tall, slender male up and down, "Cause that would be a shame."

Sasuke stared, "When is he coming?" He repeated.

"He didn't say," Deidara glanced at a laptop bag next to the door. "He just said soon. I have to keep you here until then I guess. Sorry about that."

"How long have I been out?"

"Just a couple hours." He didn't seem to be bothered by all the questions. He started rolling another joint.

"And how long have you been stalking me around town?"

"Few days…"

"You're good," Sasuke said sincerely, "I didn't even notice."

"That's because," Deidara smiled, "you vampires don't fear humans at all."

"I guess that was my mistake. But hey I was serious when I said I'll change you. Don't let Varin ruin your life. Fuck him. I'll do it." His tone sounded almost pleading when he wanted it to sound casual and confident. But he just couldn't. He was scared… Soon. What did that mean? Was Varin on his way right now?

Deidara didn't react – or so Sasuke thought, until he noticed his knuckles going white as he clutched the gun tightly.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Why should you trust Varin?" He replied, raising his voice a little as he slowly regained his strength.

"Because I caught you, and that was the deal. And then I'll be faithful to him forever. What about you? What's in it for you?"

"Well first I get out of here. And you can help me and my friends kill Varin when he shows up in town. And then you're free. You don't have to be faithful to me forever or any of that crap I really don't care." Sasuke said, thinking fast. He actually meant every word. Any ally would be welcome in this upcoming battle.

"You serious?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay but I shoot you if I feel like you're drinking too much of my blood," Deidara raised in gun a little, placing it between them.

"Of course you'll feel like I'm drinking too much you idiot!" Sasuke exclaimed in annoyance and Deidara flinched. Okay, maybe not his best choice of words. "Look," he tried to calm down, this was his chance, he couldn't let it go, "I'll drink a lot, but I won't kill you. Then I'll make you drink my blood in return. That's how it works all right? I'll be there to help you through it. I know what I'm doing I'm six centuries years old all right?"

Well that last part was true. The part about knowing what he was doing – not so much. But that was okay. Deidara didn't need to know that.

"You know what? Do it."

"Yeah?"

Deidara nodded, "Yeah."

"Lose the gun."

He flinched, but complied. "Fine…" He tossed it aside on the low table reluctantly, and looked back at Sasuke. He held his breath. "Don't kill me or I'll come back as a ghost to haunt you for the rest of your life."

"I got it."

Sasuke had regained enough strength to actually lean closer, and he parted his lips, baring his fangs. Deidara brushed his hair behind his shoulder, and closed his eyes as the vampire bit him. He hissed in pain but then he relaxed, as the two males leaned onto each other. Sasuke was so thirsty, and this felt amazing. But he had to decide now. He could choose to be his old self – a jerk – and kill Deidara right here and now despite all that he'd said.

But then he'd be just as bad as Varin, wouldn't he? Besides, Naruto wouldn't like it if he killed a human - self-defense or not. And well, perhaps Deidara would really help them defeat Varin in the end. So Sasuke chose to save him.

"Okay, that's enough," he whispered at some point, more to himself, as he reluctantly pulled away. Time to give back.

Deidara was half-conscious, still leaning onto Sasuke. The latter had now regained his strength in an accelerated process, thanks to all the blood. But now he had to hurry before the human's heart stopped, which wasn't too far from happening, he could tell.

"Here," he whispered as he ripped his own wrist open and offered it to the blonde's pale lips.

He started drinking, eventually clutching Sasuke's arm with both hands, and sometimes grazing the skin with his own teeth so that the wound didn't heal.

"Good," Sasuke encouraged him, trying to sound confident, "take as much as you need…"

At some point though Sasuke started feeling week. Deidara was drinking long gulps of blood, one after the other, and he was nowhere near putting an end to it. So Sasuke eventually had no choice but to push him away. Enough was enough.

"You trying to kill _me _now?" He teased.

Deidara was panting, and feverish, as he finally pulled away and fell back onto the couch, hitting his head inadvertently on the arm rest, but he barely noticed. The transformation was beginning.

"You can thank me later," Sasuke said casually as he watched his own wrist heal slowly. He'd expect a big fat thank you indeed. He could've just killed the guy. But he was better than that now. He wanted to be better than that. And maybe now, together, with Naruto's family, they could join forces and defeat Varin… It couldn't hurt to hope.


	22. Countdown to the battle

**22. Countdown to the battle**

Spending the Christmas vacation with Kakashi was very comforting for Naruto. He loved his newfound family, but Kakashi was the man who had raised him. He was his adoptive father, after all. Naruto wouldn't have become the person he was today without Kakashi. So it felt great to have him around – it also felt great that they had finally made up.

Minato was amazing, and fun, and so was Miku. Everyday Naruto discovered new common traits with them. Nagato was a bit more on the serious side, but that was okay. Naruto didn't spend as much time with his uncle as with the others, but when he did well he enjoyed himself. Maybe it was silly, but it felt nice to have another gay person in the family.

Still, despite all this amazing time he spent with his family, well he missed Sasuke. One evening, as he hung out in the living room with Miku and Kiba, it hit him hard. The three young adults were drinking beer and just talking about various subjects – from their magical powers to the music industry. The blonde girl and her boyfriend were sitting really close on the couch, their arms around each other. And they just seemed so happy together; it made Naruto miss his own boyfriend all the more. He wished he could spend one night, just one night with Sasuke. Was that too much to ask? But the raven never answered his phone.

"Guys, um, there's something I need to do," he said, interrupting the conversation. He got up and went to pick up his black leather jacket, which he threw over his shoulders, covering his white v-neck t-shirt. He had a thin black necklace around his neck, with a blue tear shaped pendant. It was Miku's Christmas gift to him.

"You're gonna go and try to find Sasuke?" Kiba asked.

"However did you guess?"

"You've been trying to call him like every ten seconds…"

"I was being sarcastic," Naruto replied and Kiba shut his mouth.

Miku sighed as she got up and came to see him off, "Just be careful okay? And if you find him, tell him that I'd love to finally meet him."

"I will."

As though sensing his sadness and loneliness, Miku spontaneously decided to hug him tightly, resting her head against his shoulder. Naruto smiled and held her back. When they pulled apart, he left without one more word.

Naruto decided not to use his powers. He just walked. The city was quiet at this hour. The night was cold. Walking was good; it gave him some time to think. He ran tan fingers through golden blonde locks before shoving his hand back in his pocket. What if Sasuke really wanted to break up? Would that be such a bad thing? Maybe they weren't meant to be together. The thought saddened him more than he could have imagined.

He checked the motel where Sasuke had been staying. But he got no answer when he knocked at the door. Well, even if Sasuke was still staying here, it was likely that he had gone out for the night, after all. The blonde made his way back out, ignoring some employee giving him a weird glance.

Without much hope, he tried calling Sasuke again as he walked in the calm night. Needless to say, he was surprised when the vampire picked up.

"Finally!" Naruto exclaimed before the other could speak, "Where the hell are you? Why haven't you answered my calls?"

"Naruto… something happened. I'm not sure you're gonna like it."

"What?" He asked fervently, clutching the phone. His only reassurance was that Sasuke was alive, at least.

"We should meet somewhere, I'll explain everything to you."

"Yeah! I want to see you. Just tell me where you are."

"No you still have trouble finding your way in this town don't you? You pick a place."

For lack of a better idea, Naruto picked a ramen restaurant not too far from the motel. Sasuke knew where he was talking about, so they hung up and Naruto waited in front of the restaurant. Its doors closed before Sasuke arrived. Not that it mattered; they certainly weren't going to eat.

When he felt Sasuke approach, he was shocked to detect another vampire's presence as well. He narrowed his eyes and waited as he stood on the sidewalk, crossing his arms. So Sasuke had made a new friend, huh?

And the worst thing was, they looked good together. Naruto felt a pang in his chest as he looked at the two vampires. Sasuke was sexy as ever, sleek black hair slightly windblown, all black outfit, skin as pale as snow and onyx eyes deep and mysterious. Clinging to his arm was a slightly shorter male with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He wore black combat boots with cut off jeans and a long sleeve, wide neck black shirt. Sunglasses sat on his head as he stared at Naruto.

"So that's him? Heh, doesn't look that dangerous to me."

"He could kill you in the blink of an eye," Sasuke replied as he pushed him away, "so shut your mouth. Naruto this is Deidara."

Naruto glared at the stranger as the three of them stood in front of the closed restaurant. He shivered slightly from the cold but ignored it.

"My family told me there weren't any vampires in town."

"There weren't," Sasuke shrugged, "until now. I changed him myself."

"What?" Naruto hissed, "You changed him? When? _Why?_" His tone of voice changed as he felt an intense jealousy creep up inside of him.

Deidara lifted his arm to put it on top of the raven's shoulder, smirking. What infuriated Naruto the most, perhaps, was that the guy was actually really hot.

"We're buddies now, deal with it." He proceeded to light a joint and was unfazed when Sasuke pushed him away again.

"Naruto I had no choice," Sasuke said in an intense, low voice as he stepped closer. He reached out to take Naruto's arm but the blonde stepped back.

"No choice? What do you mean?"

"It was either that or I killed him."

Naruto was confused, but before he could ask questions Deidara cleared his throat loudly and also stepped closer.

"_Or _I would've put you back to sleep until Varin got here, so that he could rape the crap out of you for all those years he couldn't do it."

It was as if Naruto could feel Sasuke flinch even though they weren't touching. Now the feelings of jealousy were slowly turning to anger toward that Deidara guy.

"Don't talk to him like that you piece of shit."

Deidara raised one hand in surrender, and brought the joint to his lips again with the other. Sasuke sighed, locking eyes with Naruto.

"No he's right. That's exactly what happened."

And Sasuke proceeded to tell the whole story, of how Deidara used to work for Varin, and had captured him, hoping to get changed into a vampire as a reward, and how Sasuke had done it for him instead.

"And now we're on the same team," Deidara said with a little smile. Naruto wanted to smack it off his face, but instead he took a deep breath to calm down. He kept his eyes on Sasuke's face and decided to ask him a few questions using his powers. He just needed to be clear on something.

"_Are we still together?"_

Dark eyes widened ever so slightly, and Naruto could see the hurt in them. But he didn't falter.

"_If you want us to be."_

"_Did you fuck him?"_

The hurt intensified. Again Naruto didn't take back his question. He had every right to be worried about this relationship.

"_No."_

"_Did you want to?"_

"_Why would I want to do such a thing with anyone but you?"_

Sasuke's thoughts were almost feverish now; he was so scared to lose him. Naruto had his answer.

"_Then we're still together."_

"Uh… what are you guys doing?" Deidara arched an eyebrow. He eventually dropped the joint and crushed it with his boot.

Sasuke stepped away from the two others, and ran shaky pale fingers through his raven locks.

"Nothing," he muttered, "We should get going. We still have to feed…"

"What?" Naruto hissed.

"We're not killing anyone," Sasuke replied almost tiredly, "we're compelling them and taking just a little, and then we heal them."

"You better. Cause I won't stop my family from going after you if someone is killed." He turned to look at Deidara, "And it'll be a pleasure to go after you myself."

"You done now?" The newborn vampire glared right back.

Sasuke was also staring at the powerful human in disbelief. And Naruto did falter this time. He realized how harsh he'd sounded. And all this wasn't Sasuke's fault, was it? He'd seen it in the back of his mind when he'd read his thoughts; Sasuke was terrified of Varin, now more than ever. By changing Deidara, and keeping him by his side, he just wanted all the help he could get. Naruto hadn't been there for him. He'd been spending all of his time with his family. Well granted, Sasuke was the one who'd wanted things to be that way, but still… Perhaps they were still together, but things weren't going so great, were they? And it frightened Naruto, because he didn't want to lose him either.

"When is he coming?" By 'he' he meant Varin, and they both knew it.

"We don't know," Deidara said, "all he said when I talked to him was _soon_."

Now he could see worry in Sasuke's eyes, as he said, "You and your sister are gonna have to be extremely careful. We don't know what his intentions are with you two."

"But we can't hurt him though, can we?" Naruto sighed, looking down, and clenching his fists. "I wish there was a way but…"

"No, you can't," Sasuke replied, "but keep Kiba around, will you? He can protect you guys. I don't think he realizes how powerful he is in his dog form. He practically ripped off my throat the day I met him. You have no idea how happy it would make me if he could do the same to Varin. And with your uncle and your sister you can attack Sakura and whatever other vampire accompanying him. And hopefully with Deidara we'll be around to back you guys up."

"Sounds like a plan," Naruto nodded slowly even though he was scared. "I'll warn the others."

Deidara randomly stared at Naruto's neck and whispered, "Your blood smells nice."

Immediately Sasuke grabbed his arm and yanked him away, "All right let's go get you fed."

"You guys better not hurt anyone," Naruto said and again there was this look of hurt in Sasuke's dark eyes. So he reached to connect their minds again and added, _"It's not you I don't trust. It's him."_

Sasuke nodded slightly as he glanced at him one last time before walking away with Deidara clinging to him. Naruto felt another pang in his chest as he watched the two vampires disappear in the night.

Naruto was left alone, feeling utterly sad and depressed. He looked up at the cloudy night sky and sighed, his breath leaving a trail of smoke in the cold air. Wouldn't it be great if he could be closer to Sasuke, the way Deidara was? The way Suigetsu was, too. They were all vampires, and Naruto was different. Sasuke had changed Deidara. Wasn't that extremely intimate? They shared the same blood now. Somehow, even though he knew Sasuke hadn't cheated on him, well, Naruto felt betrayed all the more.

**F & I**

Being Varin's secondhand man was exhausting at times. But Neji was a smart guy, and he could handle it. Well for starters he had to take care of Varin's fortune. He invested the money on the stock market regularly from his laptop, in various ways. It was good to feel so trusted. He also organized their travels.

Well this time it hadn't been too complicated to find a night flight from San Francisco to L.A. The travel from L.A. to Kyoto would be a different story. But right now he didn't have to worry about that. He was still trying to find Suigetsu, using the fake French name Sakura had memorized after her interesting talk with that Jeremy fellow. If Suigetsu was using a different name in this city, then he would be much harder to find, and they were pretty much screwed.

It turned out Neji was in luck. Suigetsu was still using the French fake id. And he was staying in a beautiful suite in a high class hotel. Varin wasn't the only one with fancy tastes, it seemed. With Sakura and their master, they were staying in a different hotel. But it didn't matter. One night, after Neji had found their location, well he took Sakura with him and they went to pay the other vampires a little visit, under Varin's orders of course.

"Come on hurry up," the pink-haired girl urged him on as they walked from the cab to the five star hotel's double glass doors.

Neji said nothing, but he picked up his pace. Sakura was always so anxious recently. Every step, every move was bringing her closer to Sasuke – or so she said. Neji didn't really understand Varin's feelings for Sasuke. Then again, who could understand such an old vampire? He had a youthful appearance, perhaps, but a close look in those green and gold eyes and he could see that Varin had been through so much, seen so much, lived so long… and it was frightening. So he didn't want to try to analyze him. Sakura was different.

Even though she was so much older than him, Neji still believed he was able to figure her out. She loved Sasuke and wanted him badly, it was that simple. Love and desire could make people – and vampires apparently – go crazy. She'd been able to go centuries without seeing him, but now that she knew they were finally close to finding him again, well it seemed she couldn't wait one more day.

She was clad in black leggings and gray knee-length boots today, with heels that made her almost as tall as Neji. She wore a long white shirt with a silk gray scarf. Neji's outfit, a nice gray suit, matched hers, actually, although it wasn't his intention at all. People who saw them in the street must have thought they were a really adorable couple. They couldn't have been more wrong.

In fact, Neji and Sakura didn't really like each other. They had nothing in common. They merely tolerated each other, for Varin's sake. Both were truly devoted to him.

They found themselves in front of Suigetsu's hotel room, waiting for an answer that wouldn't come. Sure enough, when Sakura forced the door open, they saw an empty room.

The pink-haired girl instantly flipped her cell open and dialed their master's number. Neji's heightened sense of hearing allowed him to hear the whole conversation without having to step closer to her.

"They're not here, what do we do? Wait for them here?" Sakura asked, tapping her foot on the carpet impatiently.

"Don't bother. I just found them actually."

Neji made a little smile as he shook his head in disbelief. It was always the same with Varin; he gave them orders, but then he accomplished everything on his own anyway.

The rest of the phone conversation consisted of Varin giving Sakura directions for the night club he was at. She hung up and replaced her pink hair behind her ear before staring at Neji.

"Let's go," she said simply.

Again they walked down the street side by side, before finding a cab and climbing in the back seat. Sakura indicated the address. Like most humans, the driver stared at them and blinked a few times before getting a hold of himself. Their skin was so pale and flawless, almost glowing, and their gazes were too intense to be normal. But as always with humans, rationality took over and he didn't suspect a thing.

The night club was indeed fancy and it was extremely expensive just to get in if you weren't on any guest list. For the two vampires, compulsion was a good enough alternate to a guest list.

They could sense their master's presence in the club but they couldn't spot him in the crowd just yet. Instead Neji found another vampire. She was very old although not nearly as old as Varin – no one was. She was breath taking with long blonde hair flowing behind her, clad in a sexy, strapless black dress and matching heels. Dark turquoise eye shadow circled her eyes of the same beautiful shade. Her name was Ino. Neji remembered all too well meeting her back in Italy. She had made quite an impression – even though she had lied to Varin about Sasuke's location, which was unforgivable.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Ino spoke in a low, seductive voice, and only the vampire could hear over the loud dance music.

Sakura was already gone. Neji should've known; the pink-haired girl hated Ino with a passion. He didn't know why, and to be honest, he didn't care.

"I see you don't feel too guilty about lying to us."

She leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "I lied to Varin and Sakura, not to you. Why would you care about Sasuke? You've never even met him. And besides, we both know you're not into men."

"I care about granting my master's wishes."

"That is bullshit," she snickered, "you're a really attractive guy Neji. Well I'd lose the long hair, really," she ran her fingers through said long black hair as she went on, "but that's just me. And I'm getting off topic. The point is, you're pathetic if you're just gonna follow some guy's orders for the rest of your existence. It's kind of a turn off."

And the way she was leaning so close and whispering in his ear like that, while touching his hair and swaying her hips to the catchy dance music ever so slightly, all of that was turning him on so very much, actually.

"What's so pathetic about hanging out with the most powerful vampire alive?"

She hesitated, then smiled, "I guess when you put it like that…"

"Speaking of which, do you happen to know where he is?"

"Having a nice little chat with Suigetsu," she purred as her gaze slowly drifted to the nearest bar counter. Indeed the brunet and silver-haired male were taking place on bar stools as they spoke. Ino went on, "I don't think we should bother them."

"My thoughts exactly," Neji slid his arms around her thin waist and pulled her closer. She smiled and bit her lip slightly, revealing a pointy canine, as they started dancing together.

**F & I**

Suigetsu had never been so disgusted in his life. And it wasn't because of the ridiculously expensive yet not so tasty cocktail in his hand. No, his disgust was caused by one handsome brunet currently sitting right next to him. Handsome, perhaps, but it was still Varin. The man who had caused Sasuke so much suffering.

Suigetsu loved Sasuke. So maybe they weren't lovers anymore but those feelings would never go away. The Uchiha was his most important person. And here he was sharing a drink with his enemy.

"So are you gonna tell me what you want? If you already know where Sasuke is, then what use am I to you?"

"I want you to join me, Suigetsu," the male said smoothly as he brought his drink to his lips casually. He granted the blushing barmaid with a little smile, and then turned to look at the silver-haired vampire again.

When Suigetsu looked at Varin, he didn't see the perfect body, nice traits, ridiculously pale skin, sleek brown hair or glowing eyes. He just saw the horrendous acts he had done to Sasuke. He couldn't possibly see anything else. And a deep hatred ran through his entire body. Suigetsu wished nothing more than to see this man dead. But there was nothing he could do, not here, not alone.

All of his senses were alert, telling him he was close to an incredible danger. Telling him to run away. But he stayed. If he could get just the slightest bit of information that would be of help to Sasuke, then it was worth the risk.

"You've got to be joking," he finally replied.

"Why not? Sasuke will also join me again soon. You want to be near him, don't you?" The golden green eyes looked at him so intensely, seeing right through his soul.

"I… I don't. We're friends and see each other once in a while and that's perfectly fine with me. And he's never gonna join you again. He was never with you in the first place, you just forced him."

"He'll come around, he can't escape from me forever," Varin rotated the ice cubes in his drink thoughtfully. "Your blonde friend will join me too, you know?"

Suigetsu glanced over at Ino. She was smiling as she danced with that black-haired male wearing fancy clothes. Just like Varin with his perfectly tailored black suit. Suigetsu's style couldn't have been more different tonight. After all, he had recently bleached his hair again, and he wore pale ripped skinny jeans with a violet sleeveless button down shirt.

He was startled and yes, maybe a little jealous, when he saw Ino kiss Neji, right there on the dance floor. But he tried to keep his cool.

"Well you can have her, I don't care," he said although those words left a bitter taste on his tongue.

He had grown attached to Ino. He'd known her for a really long time. He would indeed feel lonely if she left his side. It wasn't the same with Sophia. The Spanish female had took off a couple days ago, with some agent dude. Apparently she wanted to try to be an actress/singer/famous whatever despite the fact that her skin would literally burn if she ever went out in the sun. Well that and the fangs. Suigetsu wondered how that would work out for her. Then he remembered he didn't care. Yeah, Ino was different. He would miss her. But not enough to even consider joining Varin. Nothing would ever sway him in that direction.

"You're losing your time," he eventually said and Varin slowly nodded.

"Your loss!"

Varin wasn't the one who had spoken those stupid words. It was Sakura. She'd just appeared behind Suigetsu. The male sighed in despair. If there was one person he despised as much as Varin, it was her. The pink-haired girl sat right next to him and proceeded to order a drink. Great, now Suigetsu was sitting in between both Sasuke's mortal enemies. He felt like he was gonna be sick. No matter how long it had been, well he knew exactly what these two had done to his best friend.

"You should really consider it Suigetsu I mean… there's a battle approaching. You think we don't know Sasuke's trying to surround himself with allies right now? But there's nothing he can do. He'll never defeat us. It's more than enough time Sasuke came to his senses and complied to our wishes anyway. When that happens… don't you want to be on our side? Cause if you stay on his side, well you'll die."

Sakura was truly what you could call a heartless bitch. She didn't care for no one but herself. When she got her drink she took a few sips while glancing at Suigetsu sideways.

"So, what do you say?"

Suigetsu did something extremely childish, but it felt damn good; he purposely spilled the contents of his own glass all over Sakura's white shirt. Then he gave her a brief, mocking smirk, flashing his fangs, before walking away.

Still in their hearing range, he said, "Well consider this. I think it's more than enough time you two asses fucking die. That's all I have to say."

Then he ran for his life. He'd tried to look bad ass, but he was scared shitless. After running outside a few blocks, he stopped and leaned against the window display of a closed sex shop, panting. They hadn't come after him. Of course, he thought while sleeking his hair, he shouldn't have freaked out like that. They had better stuff to do than run after him. Well good, cause he didn't want to die just yet.

Relatively calmer now, Suigetsu started walking again, ignoring some stares people sent him across the street. He took his new, tiny cell phone from his pocket and dialed Sasuke's number. With his new contract he had almost unlimited international calls, which was great.

"Sasuke I need to talk to you," he said as he walked, shoving his free hand in his jean pocket. He glanced behind his shoulder just to make sure he wasn't followed. Even though he couldn't sense any vampire presence nearby, well Varin could've always compelled a human to do his dirty work. The powerful vampire had a reputation…

"I'm all ears. What's up? You sound weird."

"I just ran into… you know who. Tonight."

"Suigetsu have you been reading Harry Potter again? I told you to stop trying to understand modern culture it's pointless."

"Sasuke I'm not kidding! And you know precisely who I'm talking about. His little pinkette bitch was there too. And that new guy…"

"Fuck you're serious?"

"Yes! They followed me to L.A. and next they're going to Kyoto."

"Well I already knew they were coming here. But I had no idea they were after you too. Are you okay?"

"Well yeah but Sakura probably moved _kill Suigetsu_ to the top of her bucket list."

"What did you do?"

"I spilled my drink on her."

That actually earned him a rare laugh from Sasuke.

"Nice."

"I know right?"

Then Sasuke's voice got serious again, "I'm done running away, you know?"

"Yeah," Suigetsu swallowed, a shiver running down his spine.

"I've got the Inuzuka kid on my side. I wish his powers were as bad ass as Naruto's but oh well, he'll do. And the Uzumaki can deal with Varin's bitches. Especially Sakura…"

"God yes. I hope Naruto fucking burns the shit out of her."

"Great minds think alike."

"Listen, um," Suigetsu paused, leaned against the side of a building, glanced around at the busy street and deeming no one suspicious, said, "speaking of Varin's bitches… I'm pretty sure Ino's gonna join the club."

"What? Isn't she faithful to you?"

"Not anymore," he closed his eyes briefly, thinking of Neji and Ino kissing right in his face.

"Well I also got a new guy on our side, so..."

"Really?" Suigetsu was intrigued.

"Yeah… he's kind of… a newborn vampire though."

"Ah man! That's more trouble than anything Sasuke. You sure about this?"

"Yeah. He actually used to work for Varin and he messed with me a little. Said he was gonna keep me locked up until, you know… And he was doing all this cause he just wanted to become a vampire. I convinced him to let me do it instead."

"Why didn't you just kill him?"

"I don't know. I kinda like the guy. And he's good with guns. I think he can help us."

"Oh my god are you cheating on Naruto? Be careful what if he goes crazy wizard mode on you?"

"I'm not cheating on Naruto, Suigetsu."

"Good. Well I'm coming now, all right? I got your back buddy." He was talking in Japanese now, emotions taking over, "I'll never let Varin hurt you again. Hell I'll kill him myself if I have to."

Sasuke didn't make any smart ass comment about the fact that Suigetsu could never defeat Varin. Instead he just said, "All right. Call me as soon as you get here."


	23. Confessions in the night

**23. Confession in the night**

A few changes occurred in the Namikaze household following Christmas. Well for starters Kakashi left, returning to the west coast of the U.S. and to his life. And Kiba moved in. He shared Miku's bedroom. As for Naruto, well his father had moved his home office to the corner of the living room, so that he could use the small room as his temporary bedroom, with the sofa bed and all. It was better this way; at least he had some privacy. Naruto really appreciated.

Naruto was learning more and more Japanese every day. He was able to maintain a short conversation now. In fact, he had even gotten a job in a local pub as a bartender. His foreigner appearance and charm made him really popular with the female clientele, which was pretty much why he had gotten hired despite his lack of former experience. Well, he was a fast learner. He knew how to make a bunch of cool drinks now. Mostly he wanted to pass the time and make some money during his stay here. If he ever went back to school, he didn't want Kakashi to have to pay for it – not anymore. Naruto was an adult now and he needed to act like it.

One night, at the bar, the two vampires showed up. Naruto was so distracted by their sudden arrival that he spilled some liquor across the counter. He apologized to the customer he was serving. He quickly finished the drink and accepted the money. Even with this little clumsy act the girl gave him a good tip. Well not that he wanted to brag but he always got good tips from girls. There was this little uniform they had to wear, and it looked quite good on him. It consisted of slim black pants and a black vest – with nothing underneath. It really made his tan skin stand out. The thin black necklace with the blue, tear shaped pendant which Miku had offered him looked good with this ensemble, and so did his semi-long blonde locks with naturally spiky ends.

Still, no matter how hot he looked, Naruto believed that he could never compare to Sasuke. Tonight, as he walked in the bar, looking amazing in simple but stylish ripped jeans and black, long sleeve shirt, black hair framing his pale, strikingly beautiful face nicely, well many girls – and some boys – turned to stare longer than necessary. And of course there was Deidara. Long hair pulled up in a half-ponytail, skinny body clad in dark gray jeans and flashy, bright blue button down shirt, the vampire looked quite good himself.

In fact, Deidara came to stand right in front of Naruto, across the bar counter. He put his hands loudly on it and stared right into Naruto's eyes.

"I want shots. I don't care what; surprise me. Oh and keep them coming. It's free for us."

Naruto arched a fine blonde eyebrow. He kept his voice lowered. "You do know you can't compel me, right?"

"Aw damn! I guess you were right," he said as he turned to look at Sasuke.

The raven rolled his eyes as he leaned onto the bar counter, "Idiot. Hey Naruto. We were just walking and I... thought I felt your presence in here. I had no idea you were a bartender now."

"Yeah well you never pick up your phone so…" He shrugged, trying to keep his voice casual.

Sasuke held his gaze. "Naruto you call me during the day."

"Yeah Naruto. We're vampires," Deidara said, "we sleep during the day."

"Jeez, thanks so much for the info, remind me to write that down later so I don't forget," he stared.

"Smart ass."

Sasuke interrupted their staring contest when he actually ordered a drink. For the first time Naruto noticed his boyfriend's pale hands were trembling slightly, as he paid for it – Naruto didn't want to give free drinks and lose his job – then held the glass Naruto handed.

"Suigetsu will be here tomorrow," he informed before taking a few sips. He then put it down a little louder than necessary and ran shaky slender fingers through his raven locks.

Naruto ignored Deidara's request for a drink and leaned closer to his boyfriend. "Hey are you okay?"

Onyx eyes locked with deep blue. He nodded but his eyes said it all. Sasuke was scared, so scared. Naruto wanted nothing more than to hold him right now.

"Yeah but… Varin's coming here. In a few days."

Deidara nudged him gently. "We'll be fine. We've been training…"

"Training?" Naruto frowned slightly.

"Yeah," Deidara shrugged, "fighting. We're ready."

"We've been practicing too," Naruto said, lowering his voice when a colleague walked by, "I mean, with my family…"

"What about Kiba?" Sasuke swallowed hard and asked, "Is he… confident he can do this?"

After all, Kiba was their best bet when it came to Varin. Naruto was really worried for the guy though – and for Miku and Nagato as well, of course.

"He's too confident," he sighed, "I don't think he realizes the danger."

Kiba didn't want to involve his mother though, so perhaps he did realize it to an extent, Naruto thought. He pushed those thoughts aside. Right now, he just wanted to spend time with Sasuke. For the past few weeks, they'd been drifting apart, despite their efforts not to let that happen. And there was something Naruto wanted to tell him, in private. He didn't want to use his powers either. He wanted to say it out loud.

Conveniently, the small pub was closing up really soon. Deidara went dancing for a little while, but as the crowd scattered he stopped and came back to stand right next to Sasuke, who stayed pretty much quiet the whole time, letting his boyfriend work. He drank a little bit too much. He was actually paying for the drinks so it wasn't Naruto's place to say no. The owner was regularly checking up on him after all, making sure he did his job properly.

When the music stopped, and people were asked to leave, Naruto leaned across the counter to whisper in his boyfriend's ear. "Wait for me outside."

He nodded and left with Deidara. Eager to get out of there, Naruto cleaned the bar section extremely quickly. Then he threw on his black leather jacket and headed out, barely acknowledging his colleagues wishing him a good night.

Sasuke was standing at the street corner with the blonde vampire, seemingly listening to his ramblings. As Naruto approached, shivering in the cold night air, he frowned as he heard some of said ramblings. Apparently Deidara was talking about customers buying firearms from him… But the vampire's illegal activities weren't Naruto's priority right now.

"I need to talk to you," he said as soon as he was close to Sasuke, "alone."

He glanced sideways at Deidara, and then looked up into Naruto's eyes. "Take me somewhere." His voice was a mere whisper as he took Naruto's hand. The simple touch made his skin tingle.

With a small smile on his lips, he nodded. As he thought of the perfect place, Sasuke quickly told Deidara that they would meet up later at the apartment – wherever that was. Naruto didn't care. He channeled his powers, made sure no one else was watching, and they disappeared. That power never ceased to amaze him.

When they opened their eyes they were standing on the border of Kamo River, in a discreet spot Miku and Kiba had showed him a few weeks back as they visited the city a little. Sasuke smiled and kept Naruto's hand in his.

"What did you want to tell me?" His voice, usually so smooth, deep and quite sexy, right now was rather strained and anxious. Naruto squeezed his pale, cold hand and pulled him a little closer. He placed his other hand in the silk soft raven hair.

"When this whole thing is over… when Varin is dead… I'll let you change me."

"Are you sure?" Dark eyes widened slightly. In the shadow of the trees, Sasuke's beautiful traits were hard to discern. So Naruto shifted a little closer still.

"Yes."

"Is this about Deidara?"

"No. It's about us."

"But… your powers…"

Naruto pressed their foreheads together as he breathed out.

"I don't care."

"You could be so powerful. You already are. Your powers are amazing."

"I don't give a shit," he chuckled, and he couldn't have been more sincere. He realized now, how much he had missed Sasuke. Nothing was more important than what they had. It wasn't easy to explain with words but, Naruto didn't want to lose him, not ever.

"And your family…?" Sasuke pulled away slightly, and searched his eyes. He had such deep eyes, such long black eyelashes… Naruto parted his lips and kissed him ever so softly.

"I love them, but they're asking me to choose. And you, you never asked me that. And you know what?" He smiled, licked his lips briefly and it almost touched Sasuke's bottom lip. They both shivered slightly – not from the cold.

"What?"

"I chose you."

"What if something happens to me after…? Will you still be happy with that choice?"

"I won't let anything happen to you," Naruto slid his arms around his lover's thin frame and held him tight.

"You know what I mean," he breathed out into his neck and Naruto trembled in desire.

"If you change me I'll never leave you, and I'll never let anything happen to you," he said stubbornly.

They ended the argument with a passionate kiss. Eager to touch his boyfriend's skin, to feel so much more of him, Naruto slid one hand underneath his shirt. He pressed it to the small of his back, flushing their bodies even closer together. Everything was quiet around. Naruto no longer felt cold. His body was heating up.

Sasuke's lips and his tongue tasted amazing, and the soft feel of his hair and skin was incredible. Naruto's heart was beating fast, and his breathing was heavy. He wanted him so bad right now. Apparently he wasn't the only one.

The raven moaned through the kiss while pushing him against a tree. The vampire pinned his lover there harshly as he pressed his thigh in between his legs.

"You chose me," Sasuke repeated, his voice a heated whisper. Naruto smiled. It wasn't really a question, but he answered anyway.

"Course I did."

Their hands were running all over each other. Naruto breathed out into his pale neck and closed his eyes as he reveled in the sweet scent of his hair. When Sasuke kissed his neck and let his teeth graze the skin lightly Naruto moaned loudly and bucked his hips. His skin got so sensitive when Sasuke was touching him. This was so intense.

"Sasuke… are you drinking from other people or is it just Deidara?"

"Just him…"

"Then you should drink from me."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"It's okay."

"Thank you, I won't take too much." In a whisper he added, "I love you." Then he bit him. Naruto was in pain at first but didn't let it show. He held onto his lover tightly, caressing his hair with one hand and his lower back underneath the black fabric of his shirt.

Sasuke showed incredible self control as he pulled away after taking only a few long gulps. Then he did the whole healing with his own supernatural blood thing… Naruto was unbelievably turned on after that. He squeezed Sasuke's tight little ass with his hands and kissed him hungrily, pressing his tongue in between willing flushed lips.

When he pulled away to catch his breath, he whispered, "I love you too Sasuke… so much."

They were dry humping at this point, as they continued making out. Naruto lost it. He almost came as the moment was so intense. But then Sasuke pulled away and took off his shirt, revealing his toned, pale and flawless torso. Naruto held him and kissed his neck almost aggressively, leaving reddened marks which healed right away. Sasuke tugged at his jacket so Naruto pulled away to take it off. Sasuke then got rid of the black vest. After that he let his fingers trail across the necklace briefly, and then kissed him again. They flushed their bodies close, pale brown skin clashing with ivory; warm clashing with cold.

When Naruto grinded him particularly hard Sasuke pulled away again, so he could unbutton and unzip his jeans. Hurriedly, the blonde did likewise. They kissed again, belts clinking as their arms went flying around each other's waists. Naruto pressed his large hands firmly onto Sasuke's small back. Their loud moans and groans were filling the quiet night. Their heavy breathing left trails of thin smoke in the dark.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered as he sneaked his hands under his pants, squeezing the firm butt cheeks.

Dark, lustful eyes locked with Naruto's blue irises and instinctively he reached out with his powers to read his mind. There was just something about the way the vampire was looking at him so intently… there was something he was trying to say.

It turned out, Sasuke's thoughts were rather incoherent. But Naruto picked up what was important at the moment; Sasuke felt guilty for the last time they had been intimate together. He'd practically raped him, after all. Naruto swallowed hard and caressed his hair, while thinking, "_You know I forgive you."_

_"You shouldn't."_

_"Don't say that..."_

"Take a hint idiot," Sasuke said out loud, smirking, "I want you..." He seductively licked his lips while keeping Naruto close in his arms and grinding him slightly. "In other words, get your revenge."

"If that'll make you feel better," Naruto teased.

Not that Naruto had a problem with that. He flipped their positions. Pinning the tall, slender male against the tree, Naruto slid his arm around his waist and kissed him.

"_I'm gonna miss this power. What other couple can communicate while making out? Best of both worlds right?"_

"_I never thought I'd say this but I think I'll miss it too."_

Naruto smiled and pulled away slightly so he could look into his eyes, then he kissed him again, over and over. Sliding his hand down his abs he eventually reached his cock and started stroking him. Sasuke moaned loudly through the kiss. It was just so intimate that they could actually communicate without words. Naruto would indeed miss it, but it was worth it if they had an eternity to spend together.

Sasuke turned around in his arms, but kept his head tilted to the side so he could kiss him still. Naruto lost control completely when he lowered Sasuke's pants, and let his cock linger in between firm butt cheeks. He moved forward and slid inside the slightly smaller male. They both cried out as an electric wave of pleasure filled their bodies. Naruto wrapped both arms around Sasuke's waist as he moved his hips back and forth. They moaned in unison with each thrust.

The raven-haired male arched his back a little, and Naruto got the hint and made love to him even more passionately. Sasuke leaned onto the tree with both arms and his eyes closed for a moment. His thin frame, the curve of his spine was such a turn on. Naruto leaned closer to kiss the back of his neck.

"Sasuke," he whispered, "you're so hot."

"S-So are you," he chuckled before letting out yet another loud moan as the blonde fucked his ass.

Sasuke turned his head desperately so their bruised up lips could meet in a heated kiss once more. Naruto was trembling from the combined efforts of moving his hips fast, holding his lover's waist and kissing him but he loved it – all of it. The cold wind wasn't nearly enough to cool down his heated body.

Naruto's breathing was almost ragged as he got closer to finishing. He shifted back to hold Sasuke's thin hips with both hands, and fucked him ruthlessly. Sasuke screamed out his name when he came, and with one last deep thrust the blonde released his load inside his lover.

He wrapped both arms tightly around Sasuke's thin chest and held him tight. Sasuke put his arms on top of Naruto's as he caught his breath. He eventually kissed Naruto's hand and sighed contentedly.

"That was amazing."

Eventually they pulled away slightly, so that Sasuke could turn around. Now facing each other, Naruto looked into his eyes, brushing some raven strands out of his beautiful face.

"If… things don't go well with… you know… you'll make some guy really happy one day, Naruto."

"Don't say that," he said, a pained look in his blue eyes.

"I'm just being realistic."

"Nothing bad's gonna happen to you," he said but his voice was becoming unsure.

"Maybe we should just run away."

"Baby… you've been running away your whole life. It's time for it to end and you know it."

Sasuke gave a slight nod, averting his eyes. He eventually just pulled away in order to get dressed, so Naruto did the same. Once they both had their clothes on, they started walking with no direction in particular on their mind. There was no need for words. They were enjoying this moment. At some point the vampire pressed himself closer, curling his arm around Naruto's waist under the jacket, and making Naruto smile.

**F & I**

Back at his apartment Deidara let himself fall on the couch. This place was a lot nicer, needless to say, than the crappy basement he rented mostly for storage purposes. The male flipped open his cell and proceeded to text Varin. Yeah, ever since he had found Sasuke, well the old and powerful vampire was being extremely friendly and most of all, chatty.

_So you guys are gonna be here on Friday?_

That would be in three days. Deidara tapped his foot onto the armrest of the couch as he waited for the answer. As expected, it wasn't too long to come.

_Yes. Does Sasuke suspect anything?_

_Not a thing. He thinks I'm on his side now. _

_Perfect. Everything going according to plan then. _

The blonde smiled and tossed his phone aside on the coffee table. Glancing out the window he grimaced. Dawn couldn't be far. Damn it. As a human he'd always been a night person, dreading the first rays of sunlight. Well now said sunlight was literally, well, deadly.

He sighed and jumped up, only to go shut the blinds. He wondered what Sasuke and that blonde he-witch were doing. Probably having sex somewhere… Deidara was a little bit jealous, actually. He kind of liked Sasuke. How could he not? The guy was gorgeous. Plus he could tell he was actually really bad ass, when he wasn't busy being so scared of this Mr. Varin.

Oh well, Deidara had infinite time to find a lover of his own now, he thought with a smile. When this whole war between Varin and Sasuke was over, he'd totally leave to travel the world by himself, and discover new things; so many amazing experiences… But until then, he had to make sure everything went according to plan indeed.


	24. Never let you go

**24. Never let you go**

Suigetsu arrived at the airport at night. He called Sasuke while taking the express train to Kyoto. Sasuke waited for him at the gates anxiously. He was glad that his friend was coming, but this meant Varin was on his way as well, and he couldn't be far.

Sasuke had wanted to pick up his friend alone, but Deidara had tagged along. He was so annoying sometimes. Always following Sasuke around… but he supposed it couldn't be helped. And he hated to admit, but it felt kind of comforting never to be left completely alone.

The arrival of his life long best friend was rather emotional, although the two vampires didn't let it show too much. As Suigetsu momentarily put down his white suitcase, they did hug each other, Sasuke briefly enjoying having the shorter, silver-haired male in his arms. It was familiar, and somewhat soothing. They pulled away and Sasuke did the introductions, clearing his throat.

"Suigetsu this is Deidara, I already told you over the phone, anyways, Deidara," he pointed at the blonde briefly, then at the other male again, "this is my old friend Suigetsu…"

"Yeah, yeah," Deidara waved his hand, looking away, "you guys have a history together, I get it. I'll try not to be in the way too much, all right?" He flipped long blonde strands behind his shoulder. As always he wore quite the flashy outfit; sparkly black vest over a crisp white button down shirt and tight silver pants.

Suigetsu was looking him up and down as he adjusted his black trench coat. "Oh you can get in the way all you want _new friend_," he said seductively.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, and grabbed Suigetsu's arm, ignoring the lingering gaze Deidara threw back at him. They didn't have time for this foolishness right now.

"Just, come on, please?"

"And where are we going exactly?" Suigetsu asked as he was being dragged along by the raven-haired male. They hit the sidewalk, and walked down the street in the cold winter night, next to cars driving by.

Sasuke could tell it felt strange for Suigetsu to be back here in Kyoto, where they used to live so long ago. He was glancing everywhere in amazement, but there was also nostalgia in those pretty violet eyes of his. Deidara stared from one guy to the other, and stayed silent for now. He took out a joint and started smoking it, while Sasuke spoke up.

"We're going to Naruto's work place. It's a bar downtown… We're having a sorta… meeting. Is that okay?"

"Pre-war meeting?" Suigetsu chuckled, looking down, "Heh, why not?"

The raven finally let go of his friend's arm. The three male vampires walked side by side without a word for a moment. As they reached a crowded area quite a few passersby stared at them. They looked ridiculously handsome. Suigetsu and Deidara had pretty neat outfits, and so did Sasuke. He wore new clothes again – for his defense he had a lot of free time and Suigetsu's credit card wasn't maxed out yet. Tonight he actually wanted to look good since he was seeing Naruto.

They walked fast and it wasn't too long before they reached their destination, that particular bar being close enough to the train stop. Naruto stood behind the bar counter, wearing the usual slim black pants and vest with nothing underneath. He looked incredibly hot. So many girls were clinging to his section of the bar just to be able to admire him while they drank and gossiped or whatever it was they were laughing about.

Sasuke's dark gaze drifted back to his boyfriend as he took place on a bar stool. Suigetsu and Deidara did likewise. After finishing up some cocktails for the girls Naruto walked up to the three vampires. He clearly couldn't repress a smile as he took in the sight of Sasuke clad in tight, stylish army pants and black tank top. He had indeed removed his jacket and dropped it on the empty stool next to his. Suigetsu did the same, taking off his trench coat and revealing a nice violet plaid shirt. The three males caught the attention of quite a big part of the bar's clientele.

"You guys drinking anything?" Naruto asked, glimpsing at the corner of the room behind the bar counter at some older dude, who Sasuke assumed was the owner.

Deidara leaned close to Suigetsu to whisper in his ear, "He's so cheap. We have to pay for our drinks here."

Despite the low voice he used everyone heard him anyway. Naruto just ignored him and kept his deep blue eyes locked with Sasuke's.

"You okay?" he mouthed.

Sasuke just nodded. "Just give us whatever… beers."

Naruto nodded back and picked up three beers from the fridge right behind him.

"My treat," Suigetsu smiled, "thanks Naruto. It's good to see you again by the way. You look smokin'."

He rolled his eyes briefly but accepted the money and said, "Thanks Suigetsu."

"I mean I'd look good with those clothes too he's practically half-naked," Deidara snorted, sipping at his beer.

"Nah you're too skinny," Suigetsu nudged him teasingly, "Naruto's thin but he's got a really nice body, nice muscles, you know? Did you know he's an amazing basketball player?"

Deidara shrugged like he couldn't care less. Sasuke was extremely annoyed by now.

"Guys seriously just shut the fuck up, just let Naruto work for now and when he's finished we can discuss our plan all right?"

"Fine, fine," Suigetsu said.

They did let Naruto do his job. He was a pretty social guys and a lot of costumers seemed to appreciate his company. So until 3 am Sasuke, Suigetsu and Deidara just talked quietly amongst themselves, while drinking some beer.

"So Deidara you're still pretending to be on Varin's side?" Sasuke inquired.

He had caught Deidara speaking with Varin on the phone some other day and it had made him worry. Sure Deidara pretended right away that it was all just part of their strategy; it would make things easier if Varin didn't know the truth. But Sasuke wasn't an idiot. Deidara could always betray them last minute. Sasuke was confused as to which side Deidara was truly on. How could he trust him for sure? It was tricky. Still, he played dumb for now. And with Suigetsu they'd talked this over on the phone already. So the silver-haired vampire followed his lead. They didn't let Deidara know that they doubted him.

"Yeah, don't worry about it darlin," Deidara smirked before glancing away. He tapped his foot to the rhythm of the pop music bursting through the speakers.

Suigetsu exchanged a knowing glance with Sasuke. Right now, they would discuss a strategy with Deidara. Everything would be fine, so long as later they also came up with a back up plan, for the possibility that Deidara turned out to be on the other side.

"So Varin's definitely gonna be here in a few days…" Suigetsu sighed.

"Two days," Deidara corrected, "he texted me earlier."

Sasuke locked his dark eyes with clear blue for an instant and he wanted to believe that Deidara was on their side. He swallowed hard and tried to control the trembling of his hands. Damn it, whenever they were talking about Varin, his body started freaking out. Two days.

"What do we do in two days then?" Suigetsu wondered out loud.

"I can definitely lead him into a trap," Deidara shrugged, "no big deal."

According to Deidara, Varin already knew that Sasuke had changed him into a vampire. Actually, it seemed Varin had thought this would maybe happen. In other words, the extremely powerful vampire still thought Deidara was working for him.

"Maybe if you bring him to the basement, it'll make it believable," Sasuke said thoughtfully, "and I'll actually be waiting for him there. But I won't be alone."

"He might be expecting that though," Suigetsu frowns, "and don't forget it's not just Sakura and Neji with him. Ino's on their side too now."

"How can she, I just don't get it…?" Sasuke licked his lips and glanced up briefly at Naruto. He was playing it flirty with those girls at the bar. But he was really just playing. Sasuke wasn't worried or jealous. He actually felt so much love and protectiveness toward the Uzumaki that it was overwhelming. If Varin managed to harm Naruto, he didn't think he would ever be able to forgive himself.

Suigetsu sighed dramatically and brought his beer to his lips. When he put the bottle down on the table and leaned his arms across it he started explaining.

"I think she's been into that Neji guy for a while now. That one night I called you, well earlier, at the club, he probably said some convincing stuff. Ino likes being on the winners' side."

"She's afraid to die if she sides with us," Sasuke said in understanding.

"I guess," Suigetsu whispered, shivering slightly. Deidara looked up at the two other males.

"But hey, don't worry guys, we're gonna be fine. What's up with those faces? Don't worry about it. I can teach you," he nudged Suigetsu playfully, "how to use a gun too. Sasuke already knows. We'll see if Varin's so bad ass when he's crippled with bullets."

"I wish I had your confidence," Suigetsu closed his eyes as he drank some more beer. Deidara's eyes lingered on his profile. Sasuke noticed this but didn't comment. Oh well, these two were lusting all over each other already, but that was all right.

Sasuke had Naruto. And he smiled as he looked up at him. The blonde was scratching his cute, spiky blonde locks as he laughed with those girls. He had such a beautiful smile. That necklace with the blue pendant his sister had given him really made his eyes stand out, and that sinfully smooth tan skin… Damn. He couldn't blame the girls for being all over the sexy bartender.

There was too much sexual tension in this stupid bar. Sasuke finished his beer and headed out.

"I just need to breathe some air, you guys stay here," he said and Deidara nodded. Suigetsu glanced over at him worriedly but the raven ignored it.

Sasuke ended up staying outside alone for a long time. He just stood in the cold, hands shoved in his jacket pockets. It was unzipped carelessly. The wind blew in his long raven locks making them dance around his handsome face. He looked up at the sky at the few visible stars as he went to lean onto a nearby building wall. He frequently glanced at the club's front door.

All the humans, he could feel their heartbeats if he concentrated. He could smell their blood even from a reasonable distance. He wasn't tempted to drink their blood though. He would always respect the promises he had made to Naruto. But Sasuke did want to enjoy those moments. He was only being realistic when he wondered, what if Varin successfully captured him or killed him in two days. Then he might as well enjoy his last moments. His senses were alert as he captured the scents the winter night air was bringing, and as he reveled in the feeling of that very same wind seeping under his clothing and making his pale body even colder.

He parted his lips as he glanced at the opening door, hopeful. But Naruto or the two others weren't coming out just yet. Sasuke leaned back onto the wall and pressed one foot flat against it, sighing quietly. He licked his lips. They felt somewhat dry. He wasn't drinking enough blood as of late. Well, for a few months now, he'd been drinking only Naruto's blood occasionally. But that was okay.

Right now, all he wanted, was to be close to his beloved. To hold him and kiss him all night, perhaps all day tomorrow, and again tomorrow night… Because who knew what would happen in two nights from now?

Those lingering doubts and fears vanished when Naruto finally walked out the door. Sasuke had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed all the customers exiting the bar because it was 3 am by now. Suigetsu and Deidara were right behind Naruto, as the three walked over to the raven-haired male. As usual, Deidara took out a joint and started smoking. This time, he shared with Suigetsu.

"So…" Naruto zipped up his sweater and black jacket both before approaching his boyfriend even more. He slid one arm around his waist and briefly kissed the corner of his lips. Sasuke wanted to hold him tight, to disappear into him. If only they could disappear together… Somewhere Varin could never find them. But it wasn't that easy.

"So," Suigetsu repeated, "what now? Should we think of a plan now or wait some more or…?"

"I think," Sasuke said slowly, looking into Deidara's eyes as the male stood right in front of him, "your idea was okay, you lead Varin into a trap when he gets here. Like I said, we could all wait in your basement…"

"So it's really happening huh?" Naruto shivered and pressed himself closer to his boyfriend. Sasuke held him with one arm and glanced at him sideways. The thin blonde looked vulnerable all of a sudden. Sasuke realized he couldn't afford to be weak. He had to be strong, for the both of them. Naruto couldn't always be the strong one regarding this situation; he was powerless against Varin after all.

"It's gonna be okay," Suigetsu said reassuringly although it was clear he was freaking out himself. They all were – except maybe Deidara. Sasuke really wanted to trust him. But really, either Deidara was being naive, or he was lying to their faces.

"We're using some bad ass guns guys, I'm telling ya, it's gonna be just fine!"

"Yeah more importantly," Sasuke cleared his throat, "is Kiba gonna be there with us?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered firmly, "and my sister and Nagato. I'll just go home right now, and tell them to be ready in two days, that's right?"

Suigetsu and Deidara nodded. Sasuke just held Naruto close and remained silent.

"Well we should probably head back to my place," Deidara eventually said, "you coming too Suigetsu or you're gonna stay at a hotel…?"

"I was hoping I could come too."

"Of course," the long-haired blonde flashed a dangerous grin.

Naruto arched a fine pale eyebrow before looking straight into Sasuke's eyes.

"Do you want to come over to my father's house tonight? Or for what's left of the night anyway?"

"But, I thought..."

Naruto interrupted him, "It's okay. I had a good talk with him. If you stay just a few days, until this whole Varin thing is over, then it's okay. Please, Sasuke, I don't want to be away from you," he added in a mere whisper.

Sasuke's heart ached as he returned the intense stare, taking in all the worry in the world in those deep blue eyes.

"Okay. All right. If you're sure…"

"I am," he said firmly, and placed a soft, almost desperately tender kiss onto his lips. Sasuke frowned and kissed back briefly.

"You guys just," he threw a glance at Suigetsu and Deidara, "text me if there's any update all right?"

"For sure," Deidara gave a brief nod.

"I'll call you tomorrow when I get up," Suigetsu reassured him and then the two couples went opposite directions.

Sasuke sent one last glance behind his shoulder at his silver-haired friend and the new vampire he had changed himself. If these two got along well then he was glad. But he didn't want to think about that right now. He brought his whole attention back on Naruto, as they walked side by side in the cold. A very faint snow started falling but they barely noticed.

"You don't mind walking?" Naruto asked softly. He still had his arm under Sasuke's unzipped jacket, holding his slim waist firmly. His warm hand was so comforting.

"Course not."

"It's just… I don't want to use my powers too much. I want to be at the top of my abilities, when, you know…"

Sasuke flinched but nodded, averting his eyes, "Yeah."

"So you think we really can trust Deidara?"

"I… I'm not sure. But… yeah, if I had to say right now, yeah, I think so."

"I hope so," Naruto said quietly before clearing his throat, "Anyway, my family really wants to meet you, you know?"

"Really?" Sasuke was unconvinced.

"Okay," he chuckled, and admitted as he looked up, "it's really just my sister. But hey that's better than nothing right?"

"I guess…"

They walked in silence for a long moment. Naruto's arm never moved from its position around the raven's small waist. They were walking really close, and Sasuke enjoyed the warmth and subtle musky scent and just Naruto's presence all in all. He was a little bit nervous, though…

Naruto noticed this, and before they reached Minato's house, well, he stopped and pulled away, before grabbing his shoulders. The two guys being the same height, or almost anyway, they stared right into each other's eyes intensely.

"Just be yourself!" Naruto exclaimed out of nowhere.

Sasuke was confused, "What…?"

"I'm serious," the blonde sighed, and let go of his shoulders before running his tan fingers through his messy, windblown hair. "I know you're scared right now, and I understand. I know you've been constantly nervous, anxious, an emotional wreck…"

"That's not really helping Naruto."

"Sorry, but like," he raised his hand pointing at him vaguely, "you used to be so cool, and bad ass, and… I know it's been a while but remember that one time we went on a double date with Temari in Shikamaru, and they were so impressed and all…"

"Must've been the Ferrari," Sasuke flipped his bangs aside as he made a small teasing smile.

Naruto eventually smiled back, "Nah it wasn't just that. Come on be your old self. Just for one night."

"You want your sister to like me," Sasuke said in understanding.

"Well," he bit his lip, looking down, "yeah."

"And if I act like some frightened pathetic little vampire she's gonna think I'm lame and wonder why the hell you're with me in the first place."

"That is so not what I meant, don't… don't say that…" Naruto reached out but Sasuke scoffed and pushed him away.

"Whatever. Don't try to deny it. That's what you were thinking. See, even without the mind reading crap you always pull off I'm perfectly able to figure you out."

"I really just meant be yourself and she's gonna love you."

Sasuke sighed, and looked down. Then, resigned, he looked up again, and suddenly grabbed Naruto's hair with one hand, and with the other unzipped his coat. Naruto gasped slightly in surprise but he didn't have time to say anything. In one swift movement Sasuke had pinned him onto the nearest wall, which happened to be the window display of some clothing store. Not that they noticed, really.

The tall, slender vampire entangled his fingers in messy blonde locks and kept his other hand at his waist, while kissing the life out of him – almost literally. Sasuke was so intense and passionate as he moved their lips and their tongues dominating him completely, that Naruto was barely able to breathe. Sasuke smirked through the kiss before nibbling at his bottom lip slightly and then pressing his tongues in between flushed lips once more. He kissed him endlessly it seemed, until finally, he pulled away, and Naruto caught his breath. His blue eyes were lidded, dazed, and Sasuke smirked devilishly.

He grabbed a warm, tan hand in his and dragged him along as they started walking again.

"Come on love," he said in a low, husky voice.

Naruto let Sasuke drag him along. He eventually let out a soft, disbelieving laugh.

"You're awesome," he said.

"Just be quiet," Sasuke said as they soon reached the house which Naruto indicated. His tone had been rather harsh but he could tell Naruto was sort of turned on by this whole sudden return of the bad boy vampire act or whatever. Well, Naruto had asked for it…

Sasuke made sure to remember the house's address. He decided he would text Suigetsu later, just in case, to let him know where he was exactly.

As they entered the house they noticed only Kiba and Miku were still up. The lights were all flicked off except in the hall, and they spoke in hushed voices. Well, Sasuke realized, it made sense that Naruto's father would be asleep, it was nearly four in the morning after all.

The raven pretty much ignored Kiba. His seductive dark gaze was all on the pretty girl who was indeed, clearly Naruto's twin sister. Her long blonde, slightly reddish hair was lovely as it framed her delicate face. She had big blue eyes and very nice lips. Her body was curvy but not too much and she was tall for a girl, yet still, she was at least four or five inches shorter than her brother and Sasuke.

He took her hand and smirked before bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of her fingers.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you," he said in a low, seductive voice. It was a tool he didn't even need to put effort in to use; his voice was always velvety, and shiver inducing, or so he had been told several times. "You're so beautiful," he said simply, and honestly.

She was definitely flustered, as her hand was finally returned. Naruto seemed a bit shocked, while Kiba was fuming.

"Stay away from her you blood sucker…"

"Kiba shut up," Miku surprised everyone when she exclaimed, "don't talk to him like that!" She returned Sasuke's intense gaze as her pretty face broke into a wide smile, "It's such a pleasure to meet you too. I've heard so much about you from my brother. I've been wanting to meet you for a while now," she sighed helplessly as she kept on smiling, shaking her head in disbelief, "you're even more handsome than I had imagined. You guys," she stared from her twin brother to the vampire, "are so adorable together. Naruto," she turned to the blonde male again, "I promise I'll convince our father; he's welcome to stay here as long as he wants!"

She hugged Naruto, and then she hugged Sasuke as well, again, surprising everyone. Kiba looked ready to murder the vampire. Naruto couldn't help but smile. Sasuke glanced at him sideways and gave a helpless shrug. Piece of cake.

But girls were easy. If Naruto wanted his father or even his uncle to like him than that would be a different story – more like an impossible task. Oh well, if being friendly with Miku made Naruto happy, than he was more than willing to do so. She was adorable. He wondered why she was with an idiot like Kiba.

She went to get her digital camera and insisted on taking a few pictures of Naruto and Sasuke together, than of just Sasuke.

"I should take better pictures of you some time," she said dreamily, "maybe we can go outside, somewhere nice, and dress you all up and oh, that'd be so great. You're really photogenic Sasuke," she smiled, "you'd be a great model. I actually have an assignment coming up, and…"

Kiba interrupted her, grabbing her arm, "Let's talk about this tomorrow babe, it's late, all right? We're both tired…"

"I'm not tired," she said and her blue eyes were shining as she clearly wanted to take more pictures of the strikingly beautiful vampire.

"Anyway," Kiba cleared his throat, "like I said, let's talk about this tomorrow," he dragged her toward their shared bedroom, "when hopefully he's sleeping, and he can't actually talk with us…" he was muttering but the two guys heard them from the hall anyway.

When they had retreated to their bedroom Naruto sighed and scratched his hair, glancing at his boyfriend.

"Well she does like you now. But I think Kiba hates you."

"Who cares?"

"You know," Naruto smirked as he took off his jacket and threw it away, before trailing a finger down Sasuke's chest, "I kinda like this attitude of yours… kinda turns me on…" His finger stopped at the hem of the sexy tight army pants and he looked up, locking eyes with lustful dark gray orbs.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Then why don't you show me your bedroom?"

"It's really small," Naruto said apologetically as he led him toward said room, as in his father's ex-home office. It was indeed small but there was a bed so it would do.

Sasuke closed the door, and tilted his head, "Good enough."

"My thoughts exactly," the blonde bit his lip as he leaned closer.

Sasuke didn't lose any time in wrapping his slender, strong arms around his lover, and ravishing his full lips. He tasted delicious. He hadn't noticed before, but there was just a slight taste of alcohol mixed with Naruto's lovely aroma.

"You've been drinking you little bad boy?"

Sasuke pushed him down on the small bed. Naruto nodded and shrugged, "Just one shooter," he whispered as he grabbed the fabric of Sasuke's black tank top to pull him closer, "that's all we're allowed at work, and only if a customer insists."

"Who was it?" Sasuke said huskily, leaning close to his ear before licking it. Naruto trembled in his arms and he felt his hardening member touching his thigh. Sasuke closed his eyes as he kissed his way to his lips.

Naruto eventually whispered, "No one important. Some customers… like me… there."

"Mm I noticed. Didn't really like that."

"No?"

They spoke in between heated kisses, their hands roaming all over each other's thin, toned bodies. Sasuke wanted to do too many things at once. He wanted to talk to him, kiss him, take off his clothes, make love to him, he was so impatient.

"No," he growled into his cheek, "you're mine."

He almost aggressively brought his lover up to take off his sweater and vest completely. Then he kissed his chest and abs all over, leaving some reddened trails. Naruto entangled his warm tan hands into his sleek raven hair, moaning when Sasuke lingered on some pleasurable spots.

The vampire aggressively got rid of his pants and boxers as well. He started licking Naruto's erection fervently and it got so hard that the blonde moaned loudly, almost painfully.

"Sasuke, oh my god, you're so… intense…"

He gave him a blow job and inevitably some of the extremely sensitive skin was hurt by his fangs, but Sasuke smirked as Naruto hissed in pain.

"Don't worry lover…" he said teasingly as he bit his own tongue with his sharp fangs uncaring of the pain, and let the warm, healing blood pour on Naruto's cock. It was so erotic for the both of them. And this had happened before, so Sasuke remembered just how much Naruto loved the tingling feeling of the healing skin, especially down there.

And he wasn't mistaken. Naruto arched his back and forcefully pulled Sasuke close in his arms, to kiss him hotly. He bucked his hips into him repeatedly. They were both so incredibly turned on.

"Take off your clothes," Naruto ordered in a heated whisper, and Sasuke smirked and complied.

Naruto helped him clumsily. But in no time Sasuke was indeed completely naked and pressing his body all the more onto his lover's tan skin. They couldn't get enough of each other. Even the faint, salty sweat soon covering Naruto's deliciously toned body turned him on so much, as he licked and kissed his skin all over. Naruto was so dazed in immeasurable pleasure and he fisted the sheets whenever he wasn't touching Sasuke's body eagerly or tugging at his silky black locks.

They kissed, and kissed again, as they grinded into each other and moaned. They did try to contain their grunts and moans as much as possible but it wasn't that easy when they were going so crazy.

"I want you so bad," Naruto whispered, "so, so bad… Sasuke… oh my god…"

"Naruto…" he replied and kissed those full, darkened lips again, teasing him with his tongue and making him writhe and tremble under him.

Naruto was so beautiful. He was so perfect. In the dark room, Sasuke's gray eyes could see perfectly well. Naruto was beyond sexy when he was all flustered and going crazy like that. Sasuke couldn't wait anymore. He caressed his blonde hair messing it up even more if possible, then crashed his lips onto his one last time as he stretched his butt hole with two, and soon three slender fingers. Naruto almost screamed out in pleasure as he hit his prostate and Sasuke had to pull away from the kiss.

Smirking, he positioned himself. He kissed Naruto's neck heatedly instead, leaving more red marks on the tan skin. He also licked his ear, and breathed purposely into it making Naruto tremble so intensely. Sasuke spread his legs and his cock was touching his ass… This moment was perfect, intense, but Sasuke couldn't possibly prolong it any longer…

"You ready?" he breathed and Naruto nodded fervently.

"Yeah, yes, please, fuck…"

Sasuke's beautiful lips curled in a permanent smirk, and he pushed inside him deeply. Naruto's back arched and he entangled his fingers in his own golden locks. Sasuke could never get tired of looking at him, the passionate expression in his cerulean eyes, in his face. It was amazing. He loved him so fucking much.

He started moving inside of him, slowly at first, then faster, and faster. Naruto screamed out as the vampire became even more intense than he ever had before – and that was saying something. He was moving so fast that it was incredible, almost unbelievable. Naruto was going crazy under him. They eventually took each other's hands and squeezed tight as Sasuke leaned a bit closer. He pinned Naruto's hands to the bed on either side of his head as he slowed down his pace ever so slightly, just so he could drop one passionate kiss on his heated lips.

Then he shifted once more to fuck him senseless. Those tight walls surrounding his cock made him go insane. He wanted more, always more. So he made love to him for a long time, until they both couldn't take it anymore. They were cursing, whispering sometimes not making much sense, and always, always keeping their gazes locked.

"I'll never let you go," Sasuke whispered fervently.

"I'll never let you go either," Naruto freed one hand so he could place it behind Sasuke's neck.

"I won't let anything happen to you."

"I love you," Naruto replied as finally, in one last, deep, passionate trust, they came together.

Their bodies were tensed, but their gazes were tired, dazed, and relaxed. Eventually Sasuke let himself fall on top of Naruto. The blonde, however exhausted, held him fiercely in strong arms. They eventually just rolled to the side, still panting. Sasuke lifted one hand to caress Naruto's face, and to brush some wild blonde strands behind his ear. He leaned closer to kiss his forehead, his nose, his lips.

"I love you," Sasuke finally said back.

"Tonight was amazing."

"Glad you liked it," Sasuke made one sexy smirk and Naruto just chuckled in disbelief and pressed himself closer, burying his face in the vampire's chest.

"Your skin is cold again. It's kinda great though. You're refreshing," Naruto said softly, and Sasuke's smirk turned into a simple content smile.

Then, unfortunately, doubts and fears came back to haunt his mind. As he held Naruto close, he thought of the inevitable, incoming battle. They would face Varin, nothing less.

Well, Sasuke had wanted to enjoy those last moments before the battle to the fullest, and he had done just that, tonight, with Naruto. There would be no regrets. Experiencing this love, with Naruto, was the greatest pleasure in life, he was sure of it now.

"I love you so much," he whispered before kissing Naruto's hair softly.

"Love you too," he said back, but he sounded so sleepy.

Sasuke just held him, caressing his hair, and his arm, and he watched over his sleep. At some point, when dawn drew near, the vampire glanced behind his shoulder, made sure the blinds were shut, and feeling safe with Naruto – as safe as he could in the circumstances, anyway – he let himself drift into a peaceful sleep, something he hadn't done in a while now. If this was part of his last moments, he thought, then he could die happy.


	25. Wounded heart

**25. Wounded heart**

The next day was quiet, and peaceful. Too peaceful. Calm before the storm, Sasuke thought. He leaned onto his elbow, as he lay down on his side, and watched over Naruto's sleep. Miku and Kiba had already left for school, and Minato Namikaze was at work. Outside the sun shone brightly; it was one of those quiet, nice and sunny, but cold January days. But the blinds were shut. He simply looked at his lover, so beautiful in his sleep. He trailed his pale, cold fingers across his side, his arm, and his shoulder and neck. There were a few reddened spots caused by Sasuke himself. He made a small smile.

He leaned close and kissed Naruto's shoulder. This caused the young man to stir awake slowly.

"Mm Sasuke? Aw man it's so great that you're here," he smiled and turned around to face Sasuke, folding his arm under his head as he stared at him with sleepy blue eyes.

The raven just stared right back, and replaced some blond strands behind his ear. He let his fingers linger in his soft, messy hair a little.

"D'you sleep well?" Naruto asked quietly. The vampire just nodded. "No nightmares?"

"No nightmares," Sasuke reassured him. Surprisingly… With Varin coming in just one day and a half now, according to Deidara anyway, well he considered himself lucky not to be haunted by his subconscious.

Perhaps it had been too long, and his memories were not so clear. In that case, Sasuke didn't want to refresh his memories at all. He'd rather never see the man that had caused him so much pain and suffering, ever again. Except, it wasn't that simple. He shuddered as he thought that he had managed to hide for more than half of his long existence now; he couldn't hide forever.

"You okay?" Naruto lifted his fingers to caress his cheek, and his hair. Sasuke leaned into his touch slightly, and nodded.

"Yeah… you wanna take a shower?"

"Sure!"

They got up, and since the house was empty, didn't bother with clothes. It was good to be together like this, just the two of them. It had been a while. Well, old habits died hard; in the bathroom, they fought over the temperature of the water. Naruto wanted it hot, but of course Sasuke's delicate, cold vampire body wasn't too comfortable with that. So they compromised.

Naruto was shivering under the cool stream of water, but Sasuke quickly took care of that little problem. Smirking, he started kissing him everywhere, and Naruto wrapped his arms around his slender, pale body eagerly.

"Sasuke," he whispered as he squeezed him tight, and kissed him. "You're so fucking beautiful…" he ran his tan fingers through damp raven locks as their lips clashed into a passionate kiss.

Sasuke kissed his way to his lover's neck, and at the same time slid his hand down to his cock. He started stroking him and Naruto moaned loudly.

"That feels nice…"

"Yeah?" Sasuke smirked into his neck, and as he pressed himself closer he could feel Naruto's heartbeat. It was beating fast for him. Sasuke frowned slightly and lifted his face so he could kiss his lips again.

Naruto eventually pulled away. He held him at a distance as he looked deep into his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Sasuke tried to kiss him again but Naruto held his arms to keep them apart. He shivered because of the cool water hitting his back but he ignored it.

"I don't know you're acting weird. Like, quiet. I don't know. And considering... are you sure you're okay?"

"I don't know," Sasuke replied honestly.

How could he be okay? He was scared. For centuries now, he'd had nightmares of this one person. Varin. And now he was in Kyoto, the very city where, all those years ago, that powerful vampire had taken everything away from him. And then… he'd kept him as a slave. A pet. A play thing. For so long… How could he be okay?

And he wasn't sure he was okay with staying still, in fact. Every muscle, every cell in his body wanted him to move, to run the fuck away from here before it was too late.

Naruto sighed which brought him out of his reverie. Sasuke immediately knew that he had been reading his thoughts. But strangely he didn't mind.

"We have to put an end to it and you know it. We've got to... to fucking destroy him. And then you'll be free. You won't be scared anymore baby," Naruto caressed his hair and then held him close in his arms. They stayed like this for a moment.

Sometimes Naruto treated Sasuke like he was younger, which was silly, really. Or perhaps it wasn't that silly. Sasuke had been changed somewhere in between eighteen and twenty years old, that was all he knew. No, he wasn't even sure of the exact human age. Anyway, this was his physical appearance. Well, he was just as tall and strong – perhaps not as muscular, but it didn't matter – as Naruto, yet sometimes, like now, he acted really protective. Almost like an older brother. Although that sounded wrong. But Sasuke couldn't help but think, it felt nice to be held like this. It felt safe.

They eventually pulled away though. They kissed softly, but nothing more. They cleaned themselves, taking turns under the running water. Sweet scents of floral and fruity soaps and shampoos filled the air in the small bathroom. Perhaps Miku was the one doing the shopping for such things, Sasuke thought with a little smile. Naruto's sister really was adorable. Sasuke found himself thinking, he didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

He used to care for no humans. Then Naruto had proved to be an exception. And now his sister. Well deep down, he didn't want anyone close to Naruto to be hurt. They were so close at this point. If Naruto was sad, well Sasuke felt his emotions, to an extant. They had a deep understanding, some sort of connection. Even doing something as simple as showering, they exchanged glances, smiles, touches, and kisses. And it was enough to make him incredibly happy.

Well, they did get turned on at some point, as they prolonged their shower time unnecessarily, just because they could. And they were having fun. This time, Naruto smirked and pinned him on the white and pale green tiled wall, before kissing him passionately, clearly he wanted to show him that it was his turn to dominate.

But as Naruto pressed his thigh in between his legs, and grinded him, Sasuke started feeling uneasy. This hadn't happened to him in quite a while. Whenever Naruto made love to him, he didn't have any problems. But it hadn't always been like this. Since Varin had raped him repeatedly, almost everyday, for so, so many years, it had become a sort of phobia for the vampire. Only with Naruto, a few months ago, he had been able to move on and experience pleasure from this act.

And yet right now, he found himself tensed and anxious; frightened, even. And thoughts of rape and humiliation crept up in his troubled mind. Why? Why couldn't he enjoy these precious moments with his lover?

Of course, Naruto, so considerate – or maybe he was just reading his mind the whole time, Sasuke wasn't even sure this time – noticed this and pulled away. He just caressed his hair, brushing some strands out of his face, and smiled softly.

"When he's dead," he said quietly, "you'll never be scared again.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said.

"Don't be silly," Naruto frowned and wrapped his arms around him tightly, placing one hand at his lower back and the other on the back of his shoulder, "it's okay."

They stayed like this for a little while. Sasuke supposed that Naruto could tell he needed this, needed to feel safe. But it didn't last long. Soon every fiber of Sasuke's being tensed and his supernatural blood froze in his veins. He pulled away from his lover and stepped out of the bath tub, quickly grabbing the first towel he could find. He dried himself and hurried to the bedroom.

"What the hell?" Naruto was saying but the vampire ignored him.

He started looking for clothes frantically. Then he remembered he didn't have his things; they were still at Deidara's place. So he simply put on the same clothes he'd been wearing the day before; tight army print jeans and black tank top. Naruto was looking at him as he stepped in his bedroom as well, wrapping a towel at his hips.

"What are you doing? What's the rush?"

Sasuke looked up, all the fear in the world in his big black eyes. "He's here," he said simply. "He's in town right now. I'm sure of it. Deidara lied to us."

Ignoring the shocked look in his lover's blue eyes, the vampire started picking out some clothes fervently. He threw them at Naruto and told him to get dressed.

"Where's your suitcase? You need to grab some of your stuff then we're out of here."

"But… I don't understand…"

"Get dressed!" He exclaimed again and this time Naruto obeyed.

He threw away his towel and put on clean boxers and jeans while Sasuke found the suitcase and started shoving some of Naruto's things in it. They needed to get the hell out of here…

"But, I can't feel anything," despite his words Naruto's voice trembled in fear slightly as he put on some long sleeve black and gray striped tee, "I'd feel it no? I mean I can feel your presence, or Suigetsu's or Deidara's so…"

"Deidara," Sasuke said, "I can't believe he betrayed us. Well actually I can," he chuckled bitterly, "I just didn't think… anyway. Are you ready to go?"

Naruto reached out to take his arm softly, "Sasuke you're freaking out. Just calm down okay? I can't feel anything. I don't think he's… Oh."

The blonde took a step back, and glanced toward the front door, all senses alert. Cerulean eyes widened as he slowly looked back at the vampire. They held each other's gaze for a moment, and Sasuke insisted, handing him the suitcase.

"We need to go," he pleaded. He was every bit the frightened, pathetic vampire that Naruto didn't want him to be right now. But he didn't care.

"Sasuke wait, we were supposed to stop running away, remember?"

Sasuke locked eyes with deep blue irises and frowned, "_We_ can't fight him! With the others, maybe we had a chance, but just the two of us… Forget it!"

Naruto used one last argument as he went to stand by the window and lifted a few blinds to take a look. Sasuke flinched as some slivers of bright sunlight hit him across the room. Naruto glanced at him apologetically.

"See? We can't go outside now! It's too bright. How can _they_ be outside anyway?"

Surely Naruto felt the presences of Varin, Sakura and the others just like Sasuke did now. They were approaching. Actually they were dangerously close. The vampire held Naruto's shoulders and looked straight into his eyes.

"You go then. It's not too late. You go and hide somewhere they won't go after you. And even if they do, you can kill them easily. You're so powerful," he smiled almost fondly, "you'll be just fine. Varin will come here, for me, I know it, so you'll be fine."

The human's gaze hardened, "No, I'm not leaving you here alone, are you insane? I'm staying."

He took the half full suitcase and threw it away. He took Sasuke's hands, before pulling him closer and hugging him tight. He entangled tan fingers in raven locks as he pressed his face into Sasuke's neck. As for the vampire, he was like frozen. Varin was so close now. He couldn't feel anything anymore. He'd dreaded this moment for _centuries_. What was he supposed to do?

When the door was kicked open both males flinched and pulled away. They stepped out of the small room and stood in the hallway. Before them appeared five vampires; Deidara was amongst them. He looked bored and uncaring as he glanced in Sasuke and Naruto's direction. They all held umbrellas with gloved hands – all but Varin. The old, powerful vampire could go out in the sun without a problem. Nothing could stop him.

"Sasuke," Sakura said disbelievingly, breaking the silence. Sasuke absently noticed the change in her appearance, the short, bright pink hair, and the modern, stylish clothes. But his whole attention was on the male standing next to her.

Skin so pale it was almost snow white, short, sleek brown hair framing a ridiculously handsome face, and golden green eyes so intense they would scare anyone. This was how Sasuke felt anyway. Because he was scared. He was so afraid that his body wouldn't move. Even without any form of compulsion, he was paralyzed. It was as if all those years, those centuries away from Varin didn't exist anymore. And he was this small, vulnerable new born vampire again, completely controlled by the powerful man; at his mercy.

Only mere seconds had passed. Sasuke might have been frozen right there, but it wasn't the same for Naruto. Bravely he held his ground, channeled his magical energy and sent powerful fire style attacks onto the vampires – all five of them. But Varin deflected the attacks by simply raising his arm. An abnormal wind raised and blew in the male's sleek brown hair. The fire had just disappeared into thin air. Naruto was confused and frightened now, as he stood right next to Sasuke protectively. It looked like as long as they stood with Varin, Naruto couldn't hurt them either. The spell still worked.

Everything happened extremely fast, mostly because Varin had the power to move so quickly that no one could see him, not even with supernatural sight. The next thing Sasuke knew, Varin was tugging at Naruto's hair, holding his thin waist with his other arm, biting his fragile neck and drinking his blood in quick gulps. Naruto couldn't even struggle. Varin was way too strong. And of course Sasuke, despite his fear of the man, launched at them.

But the girls, Sakura and Ino, both older therefore stronger, appeared behind him and held him back. They each held one arm and kept him away from their master and Naruto. Sasuke struggled wildly and the girls panicked a little. They were barely able to hold him back at this point. But every second was precious. Sasuke couldn't stop fighting to get away. With every passing second, Varin was taking more blood from Naruto's vulnerable, human body. The blonde seemed to be already passed out in the powerful vampire's arms.

Just when Sasuke was able to free himself from the girls, he noticed one thing at the corner of his eye. Deidara, holding a fire arm, one of those with bullets who could literally dig a whole through one's body, and pointing it at him of course. Sasuke couldn't believe this pure and complete betrayal. Sasuke had saved this guy's life by turning him into a vampire. And now he was turning against him. Sure enough, Deidara shot him directly in his chest. Sasuke let out a strangled scream, coughed blood, and collapsed on the hardwood floor.

At the same time, Varin let go of Naruto's limp body, which fell onto the floor near Sasuke. The vampire wanted to crawl to him but Varin himself stopped him this time. Licking his lips and long fangs he looked him down as he pressed a booted foot onto his small torso. Sasuke groaned in pain due to the injury. A large red puddle was formed around his body.

"Long time," Varin said simply, a dangerous glint in his hazel eyes.

…

Almost lovingly, the eldest vampire took off his long black coat, and put it on Sasuke's unconscious body. Then he scooped him up and glanced briefly at the others.

"Let's go…"

He made for the door but Sakura stopped him by a tap on his arm.

"What about him?" She glanced behind her shoulder at Naruto's limp body on the floor.

"He's done for," he said simply and the others followed him.

Outside, the sun shone brightly. The long coat protected Sasuke's body, and as for Varin his pure white skin was slightly irritated but nothing more. Sakura and Ino each had an umbrella, and Neji and Deidara shared one as they walked behind. They also wore hoodies and sunglasses. They hurriedly made their way to the van waiting for them on the side of the street.

Varin put Sasuke in the back, there was no helping it. The others all climbed inside. Sakura was driving, and the brunet went to sit in the front next to her.

"Sorry we made you guys all come," Sakura mentioned as she drove off, pulling down the sun blocks on the windows, "guess it wasn't necessary after all."

It had been in case the Inuzuka warlock had been home, Varin thought. Indeed no back up had been necessary in the end. Only the young Uzumaki male was there…

And now they had Sasuke. He was right there, in the trunk of this car. Blasé as he was, this was an exciting moment in Varin's existence.

"Hey I wasn't unnecessary," Deidara protested from the back seat. "By the way how's it gonna work for my payment? Cause I'd rather have it cash, I mean I know it's a big amount but I think it'd be better."

Varin had indeed promised him money so that he would remain faithful to their side. But now that he'd served his purpose…

"I decided I'm not giving you any reward after all…" he trailed off as he leaned back into his seat comfortably and exchanged a glance with Sakura.

"What the…?" Deidara growled, "I want my money."

Varin ignored him. The pink-haired female returned his stare briefly with shining emerald eyes. She flicked a strand of hair out of her eyes and looked back at the road. After so many years together, they could practically read each other's thoughts. She was just as excited as he was – probably much more, actually. She did love Sasuke a lot. Although he wasn't entirely sure why. Perhaps she herself wasn't certain. It was certainly easy to love the Uchiha's body. But his mind and soul… she could never reach them. Maybe she simply desired him because she couldn't have him. Sasuke would never be with her of his own free will, and it made her want him even more.

The handsome vampire had different reasons, and no one knew about them, not even Sakura herself. As he continued ignoring Deidara's protests, he crossed his booted legs, and let his long pale fingers trail across his silk black scarf as it fell onto his pale gray shirt and black jeans. His clothes were all perfectly tailored, even the casual ones. Varin had a lot of money but he liked using it for himself, not giving it to others. He was a very selfish being.

"I mean that was part of the deal," Deidara was saying as he threw his long blonde locks behind his shoulders, and leaned forward to try to stare at Varin in the eye.

"If you don't shut up I'm stopping," Sakura said, her eyes never leaving the road, "and throwing you out of the car. And our friend Neji gets to keep the umbrella," she smiled as she glanced at the guys through the rear-view mirror, "how does that sound Deidara?"

"I hate you all," he crossed his arms, resigned as he fell back into his seat.

The ride was long. They were going outside of the city, to a house Varin had had built and owned for so many years. He actually owned it for this sole purpose. Tonight, something he had waited for a long time was going to happen.

"So what are you gonna do to Sasuke?" Ino asked suddenly.

"I didn't kill him did I?" Deidara clutched his gun on his thigh, "I mean not that I care but…"

"No if given some blood he's gonna be okay," Neji informed. "Personally I don't care what happens to him. I am wondering where we're headed though."

"To the country," Varin said and immediately everyone became silent. He smirked, "To a very lovely place."

Ino's question remained unanswered, as the silence lingered.

…

Sasuke woke up in the basement, alone. He felt cold and hurt. His heartbeat was weak and he desperately needed blood. His pale lips were cracked, and his vision blurry. It was so dark. No windows whatsoever. Just one door, very far… His wrists and ankles were chained, and attached to the wall. He tested the chains. Pretty solid. No way to escape, not in this condition anyway.

He let himself fall back onto the cold cement floor. The chains were long enough to allow him to do so. He thought about Naruto. The way his limp body had fell from Varin's arms, and onto the hardwood floor back at the house.

Sadness and pain overcame the fear at this point. So a few minutes later, when Varin opened the door with a loud creak, and walked down the stairs slowly, well the raven-haired vampire just sat up and glared with all the hatred he could master.

Varin had changed. No more long, wavy brown locks. No more pompous clothing or powder in his face to look more human. He wore a refined, deep navy suit now. It made his eyes appear dramatically green in the dark. His short, manga-like hairstyle almost made him look like a teenager, which was a ridiculous thing to think.

Sasuke wondered how long he had slept. Was it a different day now? And was it day or night? Just what had happened? And where were they? This place seemed very old, and strangely familiar.

Varin soon confirmed his thoughts. He walked along the wall, and trailed his pale hand across some chains tied to the stone.

"This was a torture room anciently. Don't you remember, Sasuke?"

They locked eyes. It was difficult for Sasuke to hold his intimidating, dazzling gaze but he managed. Although when his words sunk in, Sasuke faltered. A torture room... and this basement… Could it be?

Varin walked closer and caressed the chain holding one of Sasuke's wrists. He looked up.

"I'm positive you didn't spend much time in here," he said slowly, in a deep, baritone voice, "even your father didn't use it much. I guess he was a good lord. But surely you saw it once or twice. Unfortunately I can't show you the rest of the house just yet. It's been renovated, you know?"

Sasuke was going mad. Was he truly at the place of his birth as a human? The very same place where, all those years ago, he had grown up and loved his family, before being forced to kill them by Varin? Was the old vampire being this cruel?

But no. It was impossible. Sasuke frowned as he looked down and hugged himself in a clinking of steel chains. For the first time, he also realized he was shirtless, but still had his pants on. The wound at his chest had healed a bit, but not completely; for that he needed blood.

This couldn't be his parents' house. It had been destroyed. During those weeks apart from Naruto, while the blonde spent some time with his newfound family, well Sasuke had explored the city. Where his family's house used to be, there was now some store and restaurant… He was sure of it.

But… what if he'd been wrong? He supposed he wasn't so sure after all. In the torment of his dark, swirling thoughts, he wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"That's right, my love," the male flipped his dark bangs aside as he crouched down and held Sasuke's cheek with a freezing hand. "I knew you'd remember. And now, tell me, how does it feel to finally be with me again?"

Sasuke just ignored him, staring into the air. Varin didn't like that. He grabbed his face with both hands and forced him to look straight into his eyes. Such intense hazel eyes. Sasuke couldn't look away. But no, he had to… Varin was going to try to compel him. He couldn't let that happen. Not again. Not anymore. He was stronger now. He had to be. He closed his eyes.

Varin released his grip, and let out a soft laugh.

"As I thought. You can't be compelled anymore, love, such a shame."

Dark onyx eyes opened but didn't look at the other. Stubborn, Sasuke remained quiet. He was scared and defeated. He'd rather die than be this man's pet again. But he knew better than to try to fight, or struggle, or annoy him. There was no point, not now.

Varin sat next to him more comfortably. Their bodies were a few inches apart. Sasuke swallowed and kept averting his eyes. But he could feel Varin's cold eyes on him.

"How was it, finally escaping from me, all those years ago? And sleeping here, in Kyoto, underground, for so long?"

Sasuke's eyes widened at hearing this. He wasn't sure he understood…

"Oh, you thought I didn't know?" Varin smiled, "You are so naive Sasuke. Of course I knew. I let you sleep. You needed it. Oh I was planning on waking you up sooner or later. But your lovely Suigetsu beat me to it. I let you guys be for a while. Then a few years ago I started looking for you again."

The younger vampire swallowed hard and his throat burned. His whole body ached. And now he felt so incredibly pathetic. Varin had known where he was all those years. He had been such a fool, fearing him, and pretending to play hide and seek.

"Why?" He managed in a rasp voice.

Varin lifted his pale hand to slowly run his fingers through Sasuke's soft raven locks. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Varin's nails were rather long for a man, and painted in black.

"You never answered my questions. Why should I answer yours?"

"Fair enough," Sasuke said in a low, calm voice, as he finally turned his head and met his creator's eyes, "I answer one, you answer one, and so on. No lies. What do you say?"

The male looked pleased, as he withdrew his hand and shifted to sit in front of Sasuke. "You've changed. You're not as scared of me as I thought you'd be."

"I'm not as scared of you as I thought I'd be," Sasuke admitted.

"Well it is true that I can't compel you…" Varin tilted his head, thoughtful, as a dangerous smirk spread his perfect lips, "But I can still do this."

He suddenly leaned in and kissed Sasuke's lips passionately. The raven wanted to push him away but he was chained up. He tried to pull away but Varin's hands held his neck and the back of his head forcefully. For a lack of a better idea, Sasuke sank his fangs deep in the flesh. Varin let out a noise of pain as Sasuke inevitably tasted the powerful, fierce blood running through his creator's veins. He almost moaned but repressed it in time. That blood… just a few gulps of it and his wound would be healed, his body completely regenerated. With such strength, surely he could escape those chains…

"I don't think so," Varin whispered, amused, as though reading his thoughts. He pulled away, out of Sasuke's reach, and asked, "How about those questions?"

"No more kissing me."

"I can't promise anything," he breathed, deep hazel eyes full of desire. Sasuke shuddered. The male wasn't ugly, quite the opposite, but it didn't matter. Sasuke would always remember all those times, when he had been tortured, raped, over and over… and that night, that faithful night, when he had been forced to kill his parents and brother. He shuddered once more and hugged himself. He held Varin's gaze bravely though.

"Ask away," Sasuke said.

"Did you honestly think I would never find you?"

"No." Sasuke ignored Varin's smile and asked right away, not losing any time, "Is Uzumaki Naruto… dead?" He held his breath.

"Probably," Varin tilted his head slightly, "it would surprise me if he survived. Do you love him?"

"Yes," he said through gritted teeth, before asking, "how did you make Deidara betray me?"

"By offering money, how else?" He shrugged.

"Did you give it to him?" Sasuke snickered. He was pretty sure the answer was no.

"Not at all, he did a lousy job. I would've preferred if you were alone, and already captured."

"Is he okay?" Sasuke inquired.

"You care abut him," Varin smiled, amused, "how adorable. Don't worry. He's all right. He ran away last night.

"What about Suigetsu?"

"I'm not after him. I was only after him when he could lead me to you. He must be all right too. Now it's my turn… How does it feel, Sasuke, to be back in this house? The house where you grew up, where you lived as a foolish, naive human, where you loved your brother and trained with him everyday…?"

"I'm done," Sasuke hissed, "no more questions."

Varin looked at him for a long time. Sasuke hated him so much. When he finally couldn't take the silence anymore he shifted uncomfortably and there was a clinking of chains in the dark basement. He looked up into green eyes. And what he saw surprised him. They were somewhat… sad. But then Sasuke scoffed.

"What is it? Huh? Disappointed? You can't compel me anymore… so…"

Whatever he was going to spit out, he didn't have time. Varin enveloped his skinny, hurt body in his thin but strong, so strong arms, and kissed him. He kissed his lips and his neck. He held him so tight and there was no possible escape. In this iron grasp Sasuke couldn't even move whatsoever. Varin was so strong that it was unbelievable, impossible to imagine unless you experienced it.

"It doesn't matter if I can't compel you," he whispered into his neck, "you're mine again."

For the next hours, Varin ravished his vulnerable, weakened body. He sometimes slid his fingers in the still unhealed wound in his heart, making him scream in pain helplessly. Apparently, his screams turned him on. Varin's eyes were always looking at his face. And his hands touched him everywhere, sometimes digging in the soft pale skin and leaving trails of blood, which he licked eagerly. Varin didn't remove the chains, even when Sasuke was practically unconscious.

Instead he held him, and fucked him relentlessly. His moans were those of a man experiencing pleasure for the very first time – or, in Varin's case, hadn't experienced it in what seemed like an eternity. Sasuke couldn't break free. He couldn't even hold on to consciousness... Not for very much longer anyway.

TBC

So much drama, I hope you guys enjoyed.

Hey, so I was looking at my other vampire fic Whispers in the dark and I felt like re-writing it. I mean I wrote that a long time ago and reading it I was like, what the hell is this? Lol it's so corny and overly cute and they're all acting so weirdly nice to each other. Also a lot of stuff doesn't make sense. Not to mention the bad writing and mistakes. But yeah I just feel like the story could be so much different, and darker, and well, better. I already started working on it because I have no life like that.

I was just wondering, if anyone's still with me despite this long, pointless author's note lol, would you be interested in reading a different version of that story? I just don't know what I should do, because it has a lot of reviews (not all positive though, and for a reason) and a lot of people have it in their favorites. So I'm not sure I should delete it and reupload it - I've never done that before. Any advice?


	26. Blood exchange

**26. Blood exchange**

As soon as Suigetsu had woken up, and realized Deidara was gone, he had suspected something wasn't quite right. First he had tried to call or text Sasuke; no answer. Same with Naruto and Deidara; nothing.

Suigetsu didn't wait for night fall. He had too much of a bad feeling about this. Sasuke had texted him the address of the Uzumaki family's house the night before, so he borrowed a car – it wasn't really stealing if he compelled some guy to let him use his car for the day, was it? – and used the GPS in his cell to get there.

The sun was bothering him. He wore sunglasses, black trench coat and leather gloves, but still. He drove fast, eager to get to safety.

When he got to the right address and parked the car he froze. He could smell blood, so much blood. And it wasn't just any random blood scent; it was Sasuke's. Suigetsu could recognize the unique, bittersweet aroma amongst countless others. Sasuke had shared his life for so long. He was so important to him. Suigetsu's heart raced madly as he slammed the car door shut and walked determinedly toward the front door.

He could feel Naruto's presence, although faint. He couldn't feel Sasuke's. What if something had happened…? What if it was too late…?

But as Suigetsu pushed open the unlocked door and entered the house it became clear that Sasuke wasn't here, alive or dead. There was just his blood, staining the floor and living room carpet as it had spread. And Naruto lay down not too far, unconscious. Suigetsu ran to his side and sat down. Naruto's thin body was shivering, and he was pale. His neck was expectedly hurt, and some blood had slid on his black and gray shirt.

Suigetsu took off his coat and put it on Naruto to warm him up. Suigetsu wore the same violet button down shirt and black jeans as the day before; there had been no time to rummage through his suitcase or anything. He'd had an intuition that something bad had happened, and now he didn't regret rushing over here. Naruto didn't have that much time left.

The silver-haired vampire could feel the human's heart having trouble pumping the little blood left in his system. He couldn't function like this for much longer. And even if Suigetsu brought him to a hospital, it would be too late. The vampire was just in time, it seemed.

"Naruto," he said softly, but firmly, as he rolled him onto his back, "wake up…" he touched the abnormally cold face, and brushed aside some messy blonde locks.

Long pale eyelashes fluttered and blurry blue eyes opened only slightly. He was barely conscious but it was better than nothing. Suigetsu gripped at his thin shoulders.

"Naruto I need to turn you. Or you'll die…" He said urgently, "Is that okay?"

"N-No…" he whispered. It was difficult to hear but Suigetsu leaned close and managed to grasp what he was saying. "It was supposed to be… Sasuke… Oh my god… Sasuke… we need to go and… save him…"

"You can't save him if you die Naruto," he whispered fervently as he touched the blonde's neck. His pulse was way too slow. "Listen I did this really often, and I know it's gonna be too late soon, so listen to me," he insisted as Naruto's eyes were closing, "you have to let me do this…"

"No…" Naruto whispered again and tried to struggle but he could barely lift his arms. Clearly he wasn't thinking properly. He was being unreasonable.

"I don't care," Suigetsu frowned, "whatever. You're an idiot. I'm not gonna let you die."

He leaned in and pressed his deathly fangs into Naruto's neck. He had no choice but to drink, if only a sip or two, so that some of Naruto's blood was in him to perform the transformation. That was why it was nearly too late for him. Even losing just slightly more blood could finish him off.

Naruto's blood tasted sinfully good, but Suigetsu had perfect self-control. He took as little as he could. Naruto's heart was strong, because he managed to stay alive long enough, thank god. Suigetsu ripped at his wrist until it bled in between his parted lips. He continued doing this, ignoring the pain, until Naruto was able to hold his wrist and drink by himself.

The human's survival instincts finally took over as he drank hungrily, pale eyebrows furrowed slightly. This blood was already healing him, making him stronger. The transformation was incredibly fast. Sure he would lose his powers, Suigetsu thought sadly, but at least he would be alive. Different, perhaps, but deep down, still the same. Sasuke wouldn't have wanted him to die, Suigetsu thought as he frowned, looking at the young man currently drinking from him, eyes squeezed shut and golden locks all messy around his beautiful face. Naruto was special. He could've been the most powerful warlock, but his destiny was otherwise now.

Oh well, Suigetsu didn't believe in destiny, or fate. He believed people made their own choices, and influenced other people's lives in this way, as well as the world itself. Suigetsu hoped that Sasuke, wherever he was, was hanging in there. And with Naruto, magical powers or not, they would save him for sure.

A long moment passed. Eventually Naruto pulled away. Now they both felt a bit weak. Naruto's body was transitioning already, for now going from cold and almost dead to feverish due to the supernatural blood now running in his veins. Suigetsu hadn't fed in a while and was simply weak due to letting Naruto drink so much of his blood.

But he would be fine. He just needed to rest. They both did. Somewhere dark and safe.

"Naruto," he said in a low, rasp voice as he got up to his feet painfully, "we need to… sleep… until night fall, at least…"

But Naruto wasn't listening. He hugged himself and his big blue eyes looked frightened as he got up to his feet as well. He was completely freaking out as he held his own arms tightly.

"What did you do? What did you do?"

"Please don't freak out, I just wanted to save you," Suigetsu said sincerely as he touched the taller male's arm and led him further in the hallway, where the sunlight flooding in through the living room window couldn't reach.

Naruto flinched and stepped away, practically throwing himself onto the nearest wall, and letting himself crawl down to the floor. He held his stomach as he looked down and his whole body started trembling violently.

"What did you do?" He asked again.

"I turned you," Suigetsu said, almost desperately, as he nervously ran his fingers through his silvery locks. "I had no choice. You're gonna have to tell me what happened…"

"I don't know," Naruto was freaking out now more than ever, as he held his head with both hands, "Sasuke was acting weird. And then Varin… showed up… with... others and… Deidara was there. Ino was there. And fucking Neji. Hinata's cousin, I can't believe… And Sakura. I recognized her from Sasuke's drawing… But they didn't do anything. I tried to…" Naruto sighed shakily, and tugged at his messy hair as he squeezed his eyes shut. "I tried to burn them… didn't work… cause of Varin… he can… repel my magic, or something. Ah fuck, what did you do… now I don't even have my powers, how am I supposed to save him now… how am I supposed to…?"

"Naruto," Suigetsu said firmly and he took the male's wrists to pull his hands away from his face. Naruto slowly looked up at him with feverish blue eyes. The transition was causing his body to heat up. His cheeks were flushed. He looked very sick. Suigetsu frowned, "Listen to me. Tell me what happened to Sasuke. Why is there so much blood…?"

"I told you," he said in a weak, rasp voice, "I don't know. Varin… blocked my attack… next thing… he was fucking drinking my blood… I've never seen anyone move so fast in my life. And Sasuke tried to help me but he couldn't… I don't know what happened to him Suigetsu. They took him away." Naruto locked eyes with Suigetsu's deep violet irises and made a sad, so sad smile, "We couldn't protect him after all…"

"It's not too late," Suigetsu said, trying to convince himself more than anything, "Sasuke's stronger than he thinks. As soon as you're feeling better we'll save him. He'll come out of this just fine. And so will you."

He shook his head, so feverish, "I can't." He held onto Suigetsu's arms as he looked up, "I can't do this. I can't be a vampire. I thought I could, maybe, after everything was over, and if Sasuke was with me, but I can't do this alone. I don't… I don't want to kill anyone…"

"Alone?" Suigetsu tilted his head slightly, and searched Naruto's eyes, "I'm right here. And honestly, I don't want to brag but, I know what I'm doing all right?"

But Naruto wasn't listening. He frowned, and whispered, "I need blood. Oh my god. Fuck. I…" he looked at Suigetsu's neck, "I wanna drink more of your blood, please…" He leaned in but Suigetsu pushed his shoulders firmly.

"No. First of all, you rest. Your body's transitioning. Then, when night falls, we get up, and we get you some human blood. Got it? Whatever. You don't have a choice anyway."

Naruto grabbed the collar of his violet shirt and his eyes widened, "But fuck," he said in a strained voice, "I really need it you don't understand…"

"Ha, funny one. But still no. You don't even have fangs yet you moron what are you doing?"

Naruto was indeed leaning close again as though smelling the aroma of the blood flowing through his jugular. Suigetsu pushed him onto the wall, sighing. Then he frowned slightly as he realized that he'd been wrong. He brought one finger to Naruto's lips to part them a little more, intrigued, and acting as if he was observing an animal.

"Huh, your fangs are actually growing already. Weird. It's going pretty fast huh? All right let's get you to bed you need to sleep this off…"

He took the trembling male's arm and pulled him up. Naruto half-stumbled in the hallway as he held onto Suigetsu for support. He stopped next to a small room and stumbled inside, Suigetsu still by his side. There was a small, unmade bed, and the blinds were properly shut, plunging the room in the dark, or as much as could be, anyway.

Naruto went to collapse on the bed horizontally. He no longer had the strength to stay conscious, it seemed. Well, it was only normal. Suigetsu observed him for a moment, before sighing and walking over to the bed himself. He decided to take off Naruto's shirt.

"Sasuke would hate me so much if he saw me doing this right now," he whispered more to himself as he struggled with the sleeves. But as he finally managed to take off the blood stained shirt, he thought that this was what a friend would do. He also used the shirt to wipe off the remaining blood on Naruto's neck. It was better than nothing for now.

His cold fingers lingered in the slightly spiky tips of Naruto's hair. He wasn't so sure, but it seemed it was becoming paler and shinier already, and also softer. His skin also seemed somewhat pale now. The transformation really was happening fast for this one. Suigetsu removed his hand, instead placing it on his lap calmly. A sort of bond would exist between them now, he supposed. This always happened when a vampire changed a human. It wasn't a big deal, just… a friendship. Suigetsu made a little smile.

"I hope you don't hate me. But I didn't want you to die… Sasuke wouldn't have wanted you to die…"

Naruto moaned in his sleep, as though reacting to his lover's name. He rolled onto his side and sprawled his tall, lean body some more, gripping the sheets with his fists. His sleep was agitated. Suigetsu tugged at the comforter and pulled it over him. He simply watched over his sleep for a while, although he felt very tired himself.

"If there's someone you must hate, then hate Varin," Suigetsu spoke quietly, even though he knew the unconscious male couldn't hear him, "everyone hates him anyway. Guy really knows how to make enemies that's for sure…"

**F & I**

When Kiba came back from school with Miku, they were shocked to feel strange presences in their house. Well first there was Naruto but… it didn't feel quite like Naruto. If it did, they wouldn't sense his presence in the first place. No, his presence was like a vampire's now. And then there was another one, for sure. Miku's eyes were wide in fear. Kiba pulled her close as he glanced around. No neighbors were out at the moment. The sky was starting to get dark. It was so cold outside. Kiba frowned, worried. He had a really, really bad feeling.

"You think your brother's been _changed_?" He finally spoke up.

Miku pressed herself closer and shivered violently. "Yeah… and that's not Sasuke…"

"No it's not," Kiba hissed. What the hell had happened? Who could have done such a thing to Naruto? Surely the Uzumaki hadn't asked for this.

The brunet and the fair-haired girl walked on the small path in the front yard leading to the door. It wasn't locked – it seemed the lock was broken, actually – so they stepped inside hesitantly. Miku suddenly tugged at Kiba's jacket sleeve.

"You think we should transform?" she whispered. "We'd be stronger… In case we need to fight."

Kiba hesitated. He glanced toward Naruto's makeshift bedroom, where he could feel the suspicious presences with his sixth sense. He frowned, recalling when Sasuke had come to his house unannounced, what seemed like ages ago. It had been a mistake, back then, to transform in his dog form and attack.

Miku was looking at him expectantly with her deep blue eyes and Kiba didn't know what to tell her. He was a little bit scared… And also, he freaked out when he noticed the blood on the floor. The two young adults didn't bother with their shoes or jackets as they advanced. The floor creaked making Miku jump slightly.

"Should we…?" she was about to ask again when a stranger made its appearance.

A vampire. Average height, pale, almost white hair, violet eyes, somewhat tired appearance, but strangely beautiful, like most of those blood suckers, Kiba thought. They all had something special to them. Some sort of aura. Kiba used to hate them all, until meeting Sasuke. He supposed the guy wasn't so bad. But this one, well he didn't know him. He pulled Miku close protectively as he glared harshly at the guy. It was very silly and human-like of him, but Kiba was much taller and larger than this guy so he felt like he could intimidate him by staring him down.

"What the hell is going on here? Who are you?"

The vampire raised a hand in surrender, "I'm Suigetsu, Sasuke's friend. I'd very much like to know what happened to him too, actually." He scratched his silvery locks as he looked at the pool of blood spread on the floor. "All we know is that Varin took him away…"

"What happened to my brother?" Miku asked. She tried to sound brave, but she wasn't pulling it off. She was scared. Kiba knew just how much she had gotten attached to Naruto in such a short amount of time. Lately, when he looked at them, it was as if the twins had never been separated in their lives.

The vampire seemed even more tired as he leaned onto the wall, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. Kiba noticed for the first time that his silver hair was slightly messy, and his shirt was wrinkled, as if he had slept in it. Suigetsu. What a strange name. But it sounded familiar. Kiba had heard it before…

"I had no choice," the vampire explained, scratching his hair again as he averted his eyes, and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, "Naruto was dying from blood loss, that asshole Varin just left him like that… I had a bad feeling so I came here – Sasuke texted me the address… seems he had a bad feeling too. It's complicated, I…"

Kiba interrupted him, pointing a finger toward him, "You're on the list too!"

"Excuse me?" Suigetsu tilted his head, locking eyes with him at last. It was kind of disturbing how pretty his violet eyes were, but Kiba cleared his throat and explained his point.

"The Inuzuka list. Of vampires who did us wrong."

"Baby that's not really important right now…" Miku mentioned but Suigetsu cut her.

"Ha! Did _you_ wrong? What a joke. Your ancestor tried to fucking kill me. If Sasuke hadn't saved my ass I'd be dead cause of that psycho. So you guys have a death list huh? Can't we just call a truce for now?"

"There must have been a reason he tried to kill you."

Miku looked up at him desperately, "Kiba please…"

"Heh, fine," Kiba sighed dryly, "whatever. Truce for now. So what's happening to Naruto now? Can we see him? Or is he going batshit or something?"

"He's still sleeping," Suigetsu said, and then slowly he returned in the small room. Hesitantly Kiba and Miku followed him in there.

Kiba bit his lip as he looked worriedly at his girlfriend. Of course, she was immediately by her twin's side. He didn't look so good. He was curled up on his side, and his skin was abnormally pale. His hair was all messy and there was a thin layer of sweat covering his body. Actually he looked like he was sick and had a pretty bad fever.

"So…" Kiba frowned, glancing at Suigetsu, "what happens when he wakes up?"

"He needs human blood, first thing," the vampire said tiredly, "don't worry, no one will be in danger. I'll be there to help if he loses control."

"Don't forget I'm a witch," Miku addressed him directly, with slightly watery blue eyes, "I won't let him lose control. He wouldn't want this…" Her voice broke and Kiba went to hold her in his arms.

"Let's let him sleep for now," he said more for her sake than anything.

She nodded and let him bring her to the living room. Kiba sighed heavily as he glanced down at the mess on the floor. They'd need to clean this up. God damn vampires.

Before they could do anything though, they heard Minato's car pull in the driveway. Soon enough, the handsome middle-aged man was stepping into his house. But even though he couldn't feel supernatural presences or anything, he knew something wasn't quite right. The blood on the floor and the fact that a strange guy like Suigetsu stood right in the middle of his living room was kind of a giveaway.

"What happened here?" Minato was alarmed as he looked at his daughter.

He still took the time to take off his jacket and hang it in the hall, as well as put away his briefcase as he always did when he got back from work. Concerned, he then walked over to Miku.

"Are you okay? What happened? Tell me."

Miku seemed to be in shock. She glanced toward Naruto's bedroom, speechless. Suigetsu just stood awkwardly, his fingers fumbling with his bleached hair. Kiba had to explain.

"Look, Minato, we're pretty much at a loss too… We just got here, and we saw this… And this guy's a vampire… His name is Suigetsu, apparently…"

The vampire made a little smile flashing a fang inadvertently as he said, "Hi, nice to meet you."

Minato just flinched and brought his attention back to his daughter and her boyfriend. "He's not dangerous?" He asked.

Kiba sighed again. Damn, he was doing that a lot. But how could he explain to Minato…? His long lost son was now a blood sucker, apparently. Fuck. Even Kiba was shocked by this.

Today had started off so normal. Okay except for the fact that Sasuke was being all flirty with his girlfriend but even he could tell that, although it was annoying, the vampire had just wanted her to like him, for Naruto's sake. But yeah they'd had a pretty normal, boring day at school. Well his day had been kinda boring. Miku's days were never boring, since she was so passionate when it came to her art. But his thoughts were drifting away. He needed to focus here.

"Dad," Miku looked up and tears lingered at the corner of her eyes. Minato seemed so confused.

It seemed both Kiba and Suigetsu were about to speak at once, to explain, perhaps, as best as they could, but then Naruto got out of the bedroom. He was still shirtless. He looked ill. His hazy blue gaze drifted across the room, and he had to lean onto the wall not to stumble and fall face down. When he reached Suigetsu he clung to him. He averted his eyes from the three others desperately.

"You need to give me more," he said in a low, strangled voice. As he parted his lips they could see his new sharp fangs and Kiba felt Miku flinch in his arms.

"What is he talking about?" Minato asked worriedly, stepping back, "Is he…? What's going on? What happened?"

Still clinging onto Suigetsu's shoulders, Naruto finally met his father's gaze, then his sister's. He looked ashamed.

"I'm sorry, you guys," he whispered, "I didn't want this. I swear. But, it's already too late…"

It was simply too much and Miku started crying as Kiba held her. Minato seemed traumatized, and like frozen right there.

"All this blood, Naruto, is it yours then?"

Kiba glanced at Naruto. The poor guy looked like he was about to cry, just like his sister.

"It's Sasuke's… we were attacked. We didn't expect it to happen so soon… It wasn't supposed to happen. I swear, I never wanted anything like this to… I mean, I wouldn't have stayed here if I knew…"

"Calm down," Suigetsu whispered as he held Naruto in a comforting hug, "You'll be just fine, and then we'll save your boyfriend… Your family's gonna accept you, in time, cause they know it's not your fault, right guys?"

Suigetsu looked meaningfully at Kiba, then at the two others. Kiba gave a brief nod. He understood. Now wasn't the time to upset Naruto even more. He was in an extremely vulnerable state, to say the least. Minato and Miku weren't idiots, and they seemed to understand as well.

"He's right Naruto," Minato said.

Miku sniffed and looked up timidly, meeting her brother's gaze across the room, "Yeah. Everything's gonna be okay. This isn't your fault."

Bloody tears rolled down Naruto's cheeks and the three humans freaked out at the sight. But it was nothing compared to Naruto's reaction when he realized this. He held Suigetsu tight as he buried his face in the crook of his shoulder.

"What's happening to me, Suigetsu?" Naruto sobbed.

"You can rest some more," the silver-haired male said calmly, patting his back soothingly, "or drink now. Are you thirsty?"

"Yeah," Naruto breathed.

Kiba felt Miku tense. He looked over at Minato, and saw the worry in his eyes.

"Suigetsu, was it? I know he's my son, but you seem close friends, and I trust you, so could you take him somewhere else for the night, please? I just don't want my daughter and Kiba to be exposed… I know it's not Naruto's fault but…"

"It's okay, Minato," Naruto slowly said as he pulled away from Suigetsu. He looked like he was about ready to fall over, but he held his ground. His gaze was unsteady as well. "I understand," he muttered.

Naruto took Suigetsu's arm suddenly, and led him toward the door. On his way out he slipped in his sneakers and grabbed his slim black leather jacket. Suigetsu could only follow him without a word. Kiba, Miku and Minato were also speechless.

Kiba knew Minato had taken the right decision, but he still felt sorry for the guy. And when you looked at things from a different point of view, well, that Suigetsu dude had been nice enough to save Naruto's life, even though he was a vampire now, he was still better off than dead, so instead of treating them both like shit, they should be happy, and thankful… This was his opinion anyway. So he briefly said that he needed to tell them something, and stormed outside.

He practically ran on the front yard until he reached the street. Then he took a few steps, erasing the distance between himself and the two vampires. It felt strange to refer to Naruto as such, but it was inevitable now, wasn't it? As Naruto had mentioned before, it was already too late, so might as well accept it.

"I want you to drink my blood," he said and they both turned around in a swift movement.

Kiba swallowed but didn't falter. He clenched his fists.

"Naruto I know you're not feeling well right now, and your father didn't mean to abandon you. He's just worried about Miku, and I can certainly understand that… That's why… you should drink my blood, so you can feel better."

"Kiba, I…" Naruto was weak and leaned on Suigetsu for support. He frowned, and looked like he didn't know what to say.

"I'm serious," Kiba stepped forward. He interrupted himself when a neighbor stepped outside his house and eyed them curiously. Then he just leaned closer and lowered his voice, "I'm serious Naruto. Remember that time I hurt Sasuke and then I gave him my blood? I was fine after. No dizziness, no problem. So drink from me instead of hurting whatever random person…"

"I wasn't gonna hurt anyone," Naruto said in a small voice. The twenty one year old looked so vulnerable and Kiba regretted his words.

"I know," he said simply, "look just do it all right? I really don't care. I just wanna help."

"What do you think?" Suigetsu nudged the blonde gently, tilting his head.

Naruto eventually nodded.

"Thanks Kiba," he said in a voice full of emotion, "but I have no idea what I'm doing. God I don't even know what's happening to me," he brought a hand to his lips, and flinched in pain.

Suigetsu exchanged a glance with Kiba, and explained, "It's like a human child growing teeth, I think, no? The fangs. It hurts at first."

"Not just that," Naruto said weakly, "everything, my whole… my body… I just…" he flinched and almost unconsciously stepped forward, leaning closer to Kiba, "I really fucking need it…"

"It's like you're a drug addict," Kiba chuckled although it wasn't funny. He knew any attempt at lightening the mood wouldn't work right now.

To his surprise Suigetsu nodded and said, "Actually you got that straight. It's exactly the same."

Kiba decided he kind of liked this guy. Before Naruto could drink from him, he said, "You know, if you manage to get my friend here," he held Naruto's shoulder, "out of this mess in one piece, and without letting him hurt anyone, well I'll scratch you off the Inuzuka list, how does that sound?"

"You have a deal."

Kiba made a little smile, then it disappeared as Naruto sank his new fangs into his neck. It fucking hurt. Kiba flinched and clung to Naruto's jacket making every possible effort not to just push him away and shove him to the concrete. He managed. He swallowed his pride, and let him drink, for his sake. This was for Miku, for Naruto, for their family. Vampire or human, he realized, it didn't matter. Not in this case, anyway.

When Kiba felt himself going weak from the loss of blood, as Naruto drank almost aggressively, well Suigetsu saved the situation. He yanked Naruto away forcefully, and kept him at a distance, as he somehow managed to hold Kiba up as well. The human felt really weak and dizzy all of a sudden, even nauseous. And his neck stung. But then as Naruto was freaking out at what he'd almost done, well Suigetsu healed Kiba using his blood.

But… the guy… actually licked his neck. It was very disturbing. But yeah it healed after that. Suigetsu apologized.

"It's just easier that way, biting my tongue and healing the wound directly, wouldn't want your blood to go to waste, you know, it's just, a habit, I'm so sorry, heh," he said awkwardly as he pulled away.

"It's okay, I guess," Kiba stumbled slightly as he held his neck. He looked down at Naruto. He had fallen to the sidewalk and he was crawling away.

He touched his lips in horror as he looked up and returned Kiba's gaze.

"I'm so sorry… I took too much."

"Well I do feel a little weak but it's not so bad dude, don't worry about it. I'll just go get some sleep and… you guys do the same and… tomorrow maybe we can meet again, in the evening, maybe you'll feel better, and we can talk and figure out what's our next move…"

Kiba really just wanted to go home. Suigetsu nodded. Naruto was in no state to talk now anyway.

With one last nod and wave of his hand Kiba hurried back to the house. He just wanted to be with Miku right now. Damn, this was one crazy evening. He had never thought this would happen… Man, poor Naruto.

* * *

><p><em>Hey, thanks so much for the reviews last time, telling me your opinions... I really appreciate. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know some of you didn't want Naruto to be turned just yet but it had to happen. I'm glad I got two chapters out this week. I'll try to do the same next week, cause I don't like leaving you guys with cliffhangers. So 'til next time!<em>


	27. Second chance

**27. Second chance**

After drinking Kiba's blood, Naruto followed Suigetsu to Deidara's apartment, where apparently Sasuke had been staying this whole time. Of course, the back stabbing bitch that was Deidara wasn't present at the moment. So it was just Naruto and Suigetsu.

The apartment complex was very fancy, and clean, you could tell it was for people with good money. No doubt Deidara's illegal activities had paid off all those years. The apartment itself was small, but nice. It was kind of empty though, not much furniture, and the walls all white. There was just one bedroom, which Naruto used to sleep.

The Uzumaki slept for almost twenty four hours actually. When he woke up it was the evening again. He felt better, although thirsty. He couldn't believe he was a vampire now. He brought his fingers to his lips, and touched the protruding fangs. So long, so sharp… He even cut the tip of his finger inadvertently. It healed right away. So fucked up… Seeing stuff like that happen to Sasuke was one thing, experiencing them himself was another.

And his vision was different. In the dark, he could see perfectly well. And he could see so much better, so much more details all around him. He went to open the window and looked down at the street, especially the trees lining it up. He could see the tiniest branches – and they were on the third floor – then he drifted his gaze up at the sky, and he stood there a moment, simply fascinated by the view. He could see so many stars in the sky, more than a human could, considering they were in the city.

Naruto eventually exited the bedroom. In the next room, Suigetsu was sleeping on the couch, wearing only gray sweat pants. His luggage was all messy on the floor. Naruto passed him and went to the bathroom. He needed a shower. He didn't look at himself in the mirror. He was almost scared. Instead he directly went in the bath tub to clean himself.

While he did this, trying not to be disgusted by the fact that this was that asshole's Deidara shower, and products, well even though he hadn't looked at himself in the glass, he couldn't help but notice some changes. His skin was paler. Instead of brown it was a pale gold tint now. His hair also felt different as he washed it; thicker, but sleeker at once. Naruto sighed, closed his eyes, and stood under the stream for a long moment. Then he realized it irritated his skin a little. But the water wasn't even that warm. With a grunt he lowered himself to adjust the temperature to a cooler one. And it did feel more comfortable now. He wasn't even shivering. Damn it. He really was a vampire now, wasn't he?

When Naruto was finished with his shower he tensed as he felt a third presence in the apartment. _Deidara._ What the hell? Wasn't he off to be one of Varin's secondhand men now? Nervously, the blonde wrapped a clean towel around his thin waist tightly. He stepped out of the bathroom and frowned as he flipped his long pale bangs aside.

Suigetsu had woken up, and with Deidara they had started an animated conversation. Actually aggressive would be a better term.

Suigetsu's fists were clenched as he glared at Deidara. "Why did you do it? For an asshole like Varin, really? When you could be friends with Sasuke and me and I don't mean to brag but we're much better company. See, we don't rape or enslave people."

They stepped closer to each other as Deidara seemed just as frustrated and pissed. His nice, dark clothes seemed worn and his long blonde hair was in its usual half-ponytail, but utterly messy. Naruto wasn't too sure but his skin seemed a bit darker than normal, redder, everywhere it was exposed; at his hands, neck and face. Perhaps he'd been inadvertently exposed to the sun earlier today. The thought made Naruto realize, with a lump in his throat, that he, too, would never be able to enjoy a sunny day outside again.

"Look I know all right? I screwed up. You were right okay? He's an asshole. He promised me a shit load of money…"

The silver-haired vampire snickered, "And you believed him."

"I didn't know any better," Deidara raised his hands in frustration, "I mean whatever okay? I fucked up and I just left…"

"He let you go just like that?" Suigetsu frowned, suspicious.

Naruto was just standing at the entrance of the room, watching, listening. Their presences felt different now. They weren't as threatening as they had felt before, when he was a human with magical blood. Now he was a vampire, too. His instincts had changed. Suigetsu and Deidara were all in their heated argument, completely ignoring Naruto. The two vampires spoke in a mix of English and Japanese, which was kinda strange. It was Suigetsu's first language, and Deidara, having lived here for years, was used to speaking it as well. But Naruto understood pretty much everything. He was used to it by now; his family had been talking like this most of the time at home too.

"Yeah! It's not my fault okay? I was just doing my job the whole time… Look I never wanted anything bad to happen to Sasuke…"

"Bullshit," Suigetsu spat.

"It's true!" Deidara's blue eyes were tired, "I got to know him better and I kinda like the guy you know? So I'm sorry, for what I did, but he promised me that money from the start, and…"

"Cut the crap Deidara! You kinda like him? What the hell? Naruto told me you shot him! Man shut the fuck up. And get the hell out of here."

"This is my apartment," he stepped closer menacingly and that did it.

They broke into a fight. The two moved really fast but Naruto's eyes followed their movements with ease. Suigetsu had the upper hand as he threw a punch at Deidara before slamming him on the floor.

"Guys…" Naruto said hesitantly but he was still ignored.

Suigetsu was mad. He kept yelling as he straddled Deidara's waist and hit him over and over.

"That's for Sasuke! You bastard. What did you do to him huh? What did _he_ do to him? And you just let _him_? After Sasuke saved your fucking life… He should've just killed you!"

Naruto rolled his eyes briefly before heading to the bedroom, where he had left his jeans. He put them on then returned to the living room, where Deidara was still getting the beating of his life. Seemed like Suigetsu had to let it out somehow. Naruto could understand him. He was pissed, too, that this had happened. But most of all he wanted to get to Sasuke as fast as possible. And Deidara was maybe their only chance.

So he eventually walked over to Suigetsu and touched his arm. The silver-haired vampire flinched and stopped all movements. He frowned, looked down at his bloodied fists and slowly removed himself from the younger vampire. Deidara's face was all bruised up as he curled on his side and coughed, holding his cheek with a trembling hand. But it was already starting to heal. That was perhaps, Naruto thought, the neatest thing about being a vampire.

Suigetsu stood a moment in silence, panting, next to Naruto. Their attention was focused on Deidara.

Suigetsu seemed to read Naruto's mind as he asked, "So where is he? And get this, I'm not asking you to help us nicely. No. It's either you help us or I kill you, get it? I'm done with this pacifist crap, sorry Naruto," he glanced sideways briefly.

The taller male shrugged, and crossed his arms, looking down at Deidara. His face was healed now, but he was still trembling slightly as he sat up.

"If he doesn't help us," Naruto said, "I'll help you kill him."

"So you're a vampire now," Deidara choked out as he scrambled up to his feet painfully, "What makes you think you could take me on? You lost your powers didn't you?"

Naruto flinched but said nothing. Suigetsu stepped closer to him protectively.

The lithe blonde scoffed, "Oh yeah I know. I heard those people talking, Varin's guys, they were all like, the only way he survives is if a vampire finds him and turns him, but even then he'll lose his powers so we're safe. He'll just be some lame new born…"

Suigetsu was about to reply when Naruto raised a hand to stop him. He tilted his head as he stared the male down, "And you've been a vampire for what? A couple weeks? What do you think they say behind your back?"

"You think I don't know that?" Deidara retorted, glaring right back, "I'm not an idiot. I was just helping them cause I really thought that Varin dude was gonna give me the money like he said, that's it…"

"You know why he let you go?" Suigetsu said suddenly, "He planned all this," he waved his hand about vaguely, toward the three of them standing in circle, "I'm pretty sure. And now he wants you to take us to him and Sasuke."

"That would explain why he let me steal the van," Deidara chuckled, "Like I said, I'm not an idiot. I figured that much already…"

"But what choice do we have?" Naruto frowned, looking down, and repressing a shudder. What was Varin doing to Sasuke right now? Was he gonna be okay? What more scars and memories would be carved to his troubled soul? What if it was beyond what Naruto could heal?

"Hey you okay?" Suigetsu asked quietly as he turned to him. He raised a hand hesitantly but dropped it when Naruto shook his head and took a step back.

The tall male ran both hands through his damp hair as he kept his eyes downward. He felt both vampires' eyes on him. He sighed shakily.

"I really thought… I really thought we would fight him all together, you know?" He eventually said in a broken voice, "I really thought… we would win. I mean maybe I was naive but that's just how I am. I'm a pretty positive guy so I thought everything would be okay. And now… everything's just going exactly the way that man wants. There's nothing we can do, right?"

"Hey don't give up now," Suigetsu said, and this time he did touch his shoulder and squeezed comfortingly, until Naruto looked up with teary blue eyes. He freaked out a bit because tears of blood ran down his cheeks. But he tried to brush that aside. He just wiped them quickly.

"I'm not giving up. I'm just saying… what the hell should we do now? Do we go to him or…?"

"No you're right we need a plan first," Suigetsu pulled away, sighing, "where is he anyway?" He looked over at Deidara.

The vampire was sleeking out his long hair as he said, "Some old house in the middle of nowhere. I thought it was weird, you know? Varin said it was important that we went there. But he seems like the kinda guy, you know, who likes fancy stuff. Fancy clothes, fancy car, fancy hotels, you know the drill. And he brought us to some old abandoned place…"

"You know how to get there?"

"Sure I just drove from there," Deidara gave a slight nod. He seemed exhausted at this point, "Listen you guys, I really wanna help, all right? I'm sorry about what I did… What can I say I guess I still think like a human. Money is everything."

"Believe me some vampires think like that too," Suigetsu sighed shortly, and apparently this was them calling a truce, for now at least.

Naruto relaxed a little, as he glanced at Deidara, and said, "We're gonna need all the help we can get. It's not exactly my pleasure to have you around, but we'll make it work. Now, we should go see my family. I'm not exactly welcome anymore, I guess, but they were supposed to help me with this. So let's find out what they're thinking now."

Suigetsu went to get a black t-shirt from his luggage, and threw it at Naruto. It was too small, but the blonde didn't comment, and just put it on. Suigetsu himself put on a v-neck, violet long sleeve shirt. He shrugged, and looked at Naruto, as if to say, ready to go then.

The new born vampire just nodded slightly, "Deidara, you're driving. Suigetsu, you sit in the front and tell him the way if he doesn't know."

They went outside, and did as Naruto asked. He had been pretty much out of it the day before, as Suigetsu had helped him to get to the apartment. So he indeed had no idea how to get back to Minato's house from here. Well, Deidara and Suigetsu managed, without too much trouble. Naruto just sat in the back and looked out the window. His thoughts were filled with Sasuke. Images of Sasuke being tortured, or raped. In Naruto's eyes, Sasuke was beautiful, perfect, secretly very romantic, almost silly at times, but so mysterious and serious on the outside. Vulnerable yet strong. And he just loved him so much, and the thought of him hurting and desperate made his heart clench painfully in fear inside his chest.

At the same time, the scenery before his eyes was undeniably fascinating. Seeing humans, animals, trees, cars, houses, all those awfully normal things, now seemed so different through his new eyes. Naruto leaned his elbow across the window frame, and held his head with his hand lightly as he just let his gaze wander everywhere. Whenever Deidara stopped at a red light or a sign, Naruto stared at various things. It could be anything. The wind making a girl's hair dance, a kid holding his parent's hand as they walked on the sidewalk, an old, rusty car whizzing by; he saw everything in so much more details.

When they reached Minato's house he noticed that Nagato's car was also in the driveway. Deidara parked the van in the street and the three vampires got out. It was the middle of the winter yet Naruto only wore a t-shirt and he wasn't really cold. He realized, again, just how abnormal and inhuman he had become.

And then, as he started walking over to the front door, he stopped, and he felt it. The _thirst_. It filled him. His heart started beating faster, and adrenaline ran through his veins. He could feel the five humans inside. Minato, Miku, her boyfriend Kiba, and also Nagato, and his cop boyfriend… They were his family. And he wanted to drink their blood even if it meant to risk killing them. He wasn't just abnormal, he thought as he held his head with both hands, tugging at his hair, he was a fucking monster.

"You okay?" Deidara asked.

"Are you thirsty?" Suigetsu also stepped closer.

"Yeah," Naruto choked out.

"Yeah so am I but I'm not being a whiny bitch about it," Deidara commented, placing a fist at his hip as he shifted his weight. Suigetsu glared at him harshly.

"Give him a break I just changed him yesterday for Christ's sake. Actually you know what, you wanna prove your loyalty to us? Then go and get us some blood."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Deidara questioned. "You want me to actually knock out some people and…?"

"No," Naruto immediately said.

"Steal from a hospital or a clinic or something," Suigetsu offered.

Deidara just nodded and left with a quiet, "Fine."

He hopped in the stolen van, started it and drove off. Naruto and Suigetsu were left alone on the front yard and they stared at each other. The taller male sighed and answered his unspoken question.

"I think I'll be fine. Let's just go. They already know we're here anyway."

The house was dreadfully quiet, as Kiba opened the door for them. The floor had been cleaned and the carpet removed. Minato sat in an armchair, looking solemn. His blue eyes were sunken, betraying the fact that he hadn't slept well at all. Miku was very similar to him, as she sat across the room in the couch. Kiba went to join her and they looked up at Naruto and Suigetsu quietly. Miku had cried. The new born vampire could see the tear marks on her delicate face and it made his heart sink deep in his chest. He didn't think he could feel more miserable.

Nagato and his dark-haired boyfriend looked awfully serious. There was a small hand gun on the coffee table, right in front of where they sat. Naruto eyed it then looked up at his uncle. The latter ran his fingers through long, dark red locks before glancing away, averting his eyes. Naruto swallowed, and cleared his throat.

"I don't want to bother you too long…" he started but he was interrupted by his twin sister.

"You're not bothering us," she looked up desperately, meeting his eyes, and she flinched despite herself.

Naruto frowned. What was it that had frightened her? Had he revealed his fangs inadvertently? Or was it his paler skin, his sleeker hair, or maybe his eyes? Were they different from before? He hadn't looked at himself in the mirror properly yet, after all. Naruto sighed.

"It's okay, I understand. I just wanna fill you guys in on what happened…"

Whenever he opened his mouth, he felt like he was gonna jump on either one of them and sink his fangs into their vulnerable necks. Well he would probably end up dead if he did. There were three powerful witch and warlocks in this room. Naruto realized, now, he was the enemy. He was on the other side. Before, the male had thought there would be time, so much time, to explain, to try to make them understand. He had thought there would be time to consider his decision, with Sasuke, after all the drama was behind them.

Now there was no time. It was already too late. And they were freaking out when they saw that he touched his lips in restraint, and stepped back. They couldn't be blamed, Naruto thought sadly.

Then Suigetsu took over. He stepped slightly in front of Naruto and started telling all the necessary information. Naruto was incredibly grateful for this.

"… So we want to try to go and save him," Suigetsu was saying, "but it's not gonna be easy. They're waiting for us. Naruto's new, and he lost his powers. Our other ally Deidara – if he doesn't just bail on us – well he's not very strong either. I'm the only one strong enough to say, have a chance defeating maybe just Neji. That's it. I can't take on the girls they're too old… And I'm not even talking about Varin yet. So we're kind of desperate here."

Minato was sometimes glancing at Naruto and shaking his head slightly in disbelief, his eyes tired and sad. As for Nagato and his boyfriend Kamijo, they seemed unsure. Only Miku and Kiba spoke up in the end.

"I'll help you guys," Kiba said, "I said I would didn't I? I won't go back on that."

"I'll help too," Miku said firmly as she pressed herself closer to the brunet, "I wanna save Sasuke. And Naruto I… I don't hate you just because you're a vampire… I want you to know that. I… It's gonna take some getting used to but… I still love you. You're still my brother."

This was exactly what Naruto had needed to hear. He repressed the bloody tears because he didn't want to freak them out even more. Instead he just made a little smile – without showing his teeth.

"Thank you so much, Miku…"

But Minato interrupted the emotional exchange, "Guys," he addressed his daughter and Kiba, staring at them with authority, "we discussed this. I'm not okay with this. Those vampires aren't threatening any human. It doesn't concern you anymore."

"Minato," Nagato spoke for the first time, his voice calm, and all eyes turned to look at the tall, red-haired man, "it never concerned you in the first place. You don't have magical blood. But you know," he locked eyes with Naruto from across the room, "Kushina would've wanted me to help him, so I'll do it. And if Miku wants to come…"

"I do!" She exclaimed fiercely.

Nagato continued, looking at Minato again, "Well I'll protect her, I swear."

"I'll protect her too!" Kiba got up in his enthusiasm.

Next to Naruto, Suigetsu was smiling as he looked at the Inuzuka. Naruto felt his heart warm up as well. They weren't alone. Maybe they still had a chance.

Miku stood as well, shouting, "I don't need to be protected!"

Minato looked down, defeated. Naruto felt bad for him. He didn't mean harm. His father was actually a really nice guy. But right now he was conflicted and that was perfectly understandable. He was trying to protect his daughter from risking her life in a lost cause. But Naruto knew that it would be wiser of him not to comment right now. So he remained silent.

He was so thirsty. He felt in all of his body. He didn't even know how that was possible, but he did. There was only thirst. And it was so difficult to concentrate on the conversations around him.

"I want to come too," Kamijo was saying. But Nagato was shaking his head firmly.

"It's way too dangerous, are you insane?"

Next to them in the room Kiba and Miku were discussing their transformation technique. Minato was staying silent and he seemed uneasy. Some time later Suigetsu tapped Naruto's arm lightly. The blonde was so tensed that he jumped and breathed in sharply.

"I think Deidara's back…" Suigetsu said simply, looking a bit worried.

Naruto nodded. He could feel it now, Deidara's presence, and most importantly all of the blood bags he carried in the car. Seemed he had been successful.

"Maybe we really can trust him this time," Suigetsu added.

Again, Naruto answered with only silence, and a slight nod. He felt like if he opened his mouth he would throw himself on Kiba, or his sister, or anyone else in the room, to drink their blood. It was so intense, and almost uncontrollable. Naruto felt so lonely. Sure he had Suigetsu and he was very grateful but… he missed Sasuke.

And in his head, he'd always thought this would be a special moment for the both of them, his transforming into a vampire. He'd always thought Sasuke would be there to help him out, to guide him through the steps, and the emotional roller coasters that it implied. Because yes, Naruto felt extremely fragile, and emotionally vulnerable. He didn't know if it was a side effect of the transformation, or if he was simply freaking out because the man he loved had been captured by some psycho – probably a mix of both.

"Let's just go," Suigetsu said and Naruto let his deep blue gaze drift across the room briefly.

The two vampires were walking away and the others noticed this. They went quiet. Miku cleared her throat and broke the silence as she came to see them off.

"It's gonna be okay," she said, awfully serious as she looked up at her brother. She looked like she wanted to convince herself more than anything. "We're gonna help you, so don't worry about anything. When should we go…?"

"Tomorrow at night fall," Naruto decided out loud, glancing past his sister at Kiba and Nagato, "Is that all right?"

His voice was strained. He felt like he was suffocating. He needed to get the hell out of here.

"Yeah," his uncle said, "that's perfect."

"We have a day to get ready," Kiba smiled.

"A day to try to convince you not to come," Nagato turned to his boyfriend.

The latter was not amused, "I'm coming with you and that's final…"

Naruto just got one last glimpse of his father's face and it made him sad. Minato looked devastated and utterly depressed by the past events. Well he wasn't the only one, Naruto thought darkly.

"We'll be here tomorrow night with Deidara."

"See you tomorrow," Kiba nodded, "We'll be ready."

Suigetsu led Naruto outside firmly. He seemed to understand what was happening with the blonde. The darkness of the night, and a soft snow falling enveloped them as they made their way to the car. Deidara was sitting casually in the driver seat, waiting. He started the car when the two other vampires joined him in the vehicle.

"How'd it go?" He asked, glancing at Naruto through the rear-view mirror. Suigetsu had taken place in the passenger seat.

"Okay I guess," Naruto said.

"More than okay," Suigetsu shrugged, "they're gonna help. We're going tomorrow."

"Fine by me. I fucking hate that guy now," Deidara commented as he drove off, flipping some long blonde strands behind his thin shoulders, "Fucking asshole didn't even give me that money…"

"I think we got that part covered already, Deidara…" Suigetsu rolled his violet eyes. Then he glared at the car radio as if he wanted to destroy it. "What the hell is that music?"

"Lady Gaga," Deidara shrugged, "man, I understand if you're a vampire, and you're old but I mean, if you live on this planet you should know who she is."

"It's really bad change it…"

"No I kinda like it it's catchy," Deidara argued.

While Deidara drove and argued with Suigetsu, well Naruto wasn't doing so good in the back. This time he didn't admire the scenery out the window. He held his throat with one hand and with the other clutched the fabric of his jeans, digging his nails in his thigh. He was so thirsty now… it was unbearable. He wasn't used to this feeling just yet, he supposed. Hell, he wasn't even sure he could ever get used to such an intense craving.

There was literally no other thought on his mind. Just the thirst for blood, and that was it. So without thinking he crawled over the seats and to the back, where he found, thank god, the stash of blood that Deidara had most likely stolen from a clinic.

"Naruto what are you doing?" Deidara asked, talking loudly so he'd be heard over aforementioned supposedly catchy music.

"I can't…" he choked out, "I can't wait…"

"Oh," Deidara said in understanding, "ya help yourself. I drank some myself earlier."

"When you're done could you give me some Naruto?" Suigetsu demanded.

But Naruto was pretty much ignoring them now. He had ripped open the corner of a bag with his fangs and he was carefully swallowing every drop. Yes, it was creepy, and gory, but he couldn't care less. His body craved it so badly that with every drop, he felt himself getting better, saner. He was regaining his senses. Also, he needed more.

He drank three bags, gulping down every last drop. And only then did he feel relaxed and posed. He crawled back to his seat and indeed passed a blood bag to Suigetsu without a word.

"Thanks," the silver-haired male said almost carefully as he eyed him. "You okay?"

"Yeah I guess I was really thirsty," Naruto wiped the corner of his mouth with his wrist.

Deidara drove in silence. The radio was off now, Naruto absently noticed. The car noises and the circulation around them as they passed the city center were the only sounds. Suigetsu held the blood bag, not drinking yet. Instead he continued looking at Naruto, until he started feeling a little uneasy.

"What is it?"

"I know you're really depressed that I changed you, and that it wasn't Sasuke."

"It's okay…"

"You wouldn't have survived…"

"I know," Naruto cut him, trying to sound calm. Didn't really work.

"It goes away you know," Suigetsu waved his hand vaguely, "the crazy thirst for blood."

"Bullshit," Deidara coughed.

"Shut up," the other replied angrily, "I'm trying to encourage him here. And it does go away! You learn to live with it, to control it, and before you know it, it's pretty much gone…"

Naruto looked out the window, throwing his arm across the window frame. This wasn't really helping. Right now, he wasn't worried about himself. He was worried about Sasuke.

"Hey," Suigetsu seemed to read his mind as he said, "we'll save him. All right? And then he'll be so infatuated with you that he won't be able to remember one single bad memory. You hear me? Cause if that's any consolation, Naruto, well, you're really fucking beautiful."

The blonde stared at him, "What?"

"I'm serious," Suigetsu chuckled, "I've seen a lot of good looking vampires in my life. A lot, you wouldn't believe. But you're kinda hard to top."

"Honestly, thanks, whatever, but I don't really care about that…"

"I know," Suigetsu shrugged, "I just wanted to say it. But seriously, when we save Sasuke, I know you'll comfort him, and make him all better, no matter what. Cause you're amazing Naruto, you're something special, and becoming a vampire's not gonna change that about you."

There was a silence. Then, "Well if you girls are done with your love confessions," Deidara mocked as he slowed the car, "we're here."

He indeed parked in front of his fancy apartment complex. The three males got out and went to open up the trunk. Deidara carried the ice box with all the blood and the two others followed. Suigetsu kept his unopened bag in his hand. He kept stealing glances at Naruto.

"What now?"

"Just trying to figure out what to say to make you feel better," Suigetsu admitted.

They took the elevator out of laziness and Naruto eventually said, "There's nothing you can say. When we save him, then I'll feel better. It's as simple as that."

"I understand, I feel the same way," the silver-haired male said and averted his eyes. He didn't bother Naruto again.

Deidara simply said, "Tomorrow."

Tomorrow, Naruto repeated in thought. They had to be ready. They had to win.


	28. Beyond repair

**28. Beyond repair**

Sasuke arched his back and screamed out desperately, holding on to the chains attached to his thin bloodied wrists. He was so incredibly skinny, and weak. He was so vulnerable. So thirsty.

Varin was pounding inside of him, as Sasuke was on all fours. He was holding the raven-haired vampire by the hips, almost crushing them. Sasuke felt pain all throughout his body. The pleasure he could've felt from doing something like this was completely blocked off by the negative thoughts. He wanted to die of humiliation.

The brown-haired vampire sank his teeth into Sasuke's flesh repeatedly, injuring his fragile pale skin in several places, the back of his neck, his shoulder, his arm… Sasuke hardly repressed another scream. It hurt, so much, everything – his wrists, his ankles, his knees as they were scraped from rubbing on the hard cement floor. His hips ached, of course his ass was so sore, and Varin wasn't anywhere near stopping.

Sasuke felt like he was his pet all over again. As if all those years apart didn't exist anymore. And yet he still had hope. Deidara was gone. He had felt his presence disappear from around here, but the others all stayed inside this house. So Deidara wasn't dead. And knowing Varin, he hadn't given him any money.

Varin was selfish. And if someone yelled at him for not respecting a promise, or a deal, like Deidara had most likely done, well Varin just laughed in their face. That was how he was. He hadn't changed.

Or yes, he had changed a little. He was more intense, if possible. He fucked and toyed with Sasuke as though he didn't have much time. As though he had to make the most of it here and now.

And god was he making the most of it indeed. Varin continued biting Sasuke and licking the precious blood. He let out moans of pleasure as he fucked him restlessly. Sasuke was so weak. He would've fallen face down on the floor if it weren't from the older male holding him.

As much as Sasuke felt humiliated, and broken, deep inside, well he still tried to analyze the situation. There was only one possible escape. The basement door. Varin had been down here for a while now, perhaps an entire day. The others hadn't come to the basement though. They were having some sort of celebration upstairs. Sasuke could hear some party music from crappy old radio speakers. It made this whole situation pretty obscene.

He could hear the girls' laughter at times. Ino and Sakura. And Neji was there too. At some point he was pretty sure the three were drinking, and then having a threesome. Maybe they knew what Varin was doing, and they wanted to have some fun too. Maybe they always wanted to share Varin's emotions, like some kind of pitiful extensions of him.

Sakura had always been like this. She had always enjoyed the comfort, safety and wealth that being Varin's partner provided her. And Sasuke didn't know about Neji. But he certainly couldn't understand Ino's motives. She'd always been more of a free spirit. So why was she on Varin's side all of a sudden? It didn't add up. Unless… she'd really fallen for that Neji guy, and also she really wished to be on the winners' side, like Suigetsu had mentioned.

Varin finished. He pounded deep inside Sasuke one last time, with a loud moan. Then he released him. Sasuke collapsed on the cold floor. His body was so weak that the wounds weren't healing. To keep up the accelerated healing ability, well a vampire needed a minimum of blood in his system. Sasuke had been too hurt by the gunshot. And he surely wasn't going to beg for Varin's blood. He wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

The brunet, somehow still elegant after all this, got up and stretched his lean body. He grabbed his emerald silk shirt and put it on, before doing the same thing with his nice black pants.

But Varin stayed, for now. He crossed his ankles as he leaned against the stone wall and he ran his pale fingers through his dark locks to replace them a little. He parted his perfect lips exposing his fangs, as he brought his index finger to his mouth. He ran it across his bottom lip before dropping his hand and simply tilting his head, his intense golden green eyes never leaving Sasuke's body.

He eventually chuckled lightly. The sound made Sasuke shudder. He crawled to the wall, sitting painfully. His breathing was labored, his chest heaved. He swallowed hard and glared right back at the much older vampire.

"Your blood tastes so good," Varin whispered, "I'd almost forgotten. Not only that. Your skin… your scent… all of you. Sasuke, I missed you. Even like this, love, you're incredibly beautiful." He let his green eyes trail down Sasuke's body, and he shook his head in disbelief, "Even hurt, you're like a work of art."

Varin was being emotional for some reason. He spoke in English – he'd never been strong on Sasuke's first language – with his Italian accent. Even after all those years his voice hadn't changed. Sasuke just closed his eyes briefly, before glancing away. His whole body hurt so badly. He could hear his slow heartbeat pound in his head.

"You've been neglecting yourself, haven't you?" Varin pointed out, "You're old enough, even hurt like this, you should heal. You haven't been feeding properly."

"Why do you care?" Sasuke trailed off tiredly. He brought his knees closer and hugged them lightly, almost ready to drop his head on his folded arms and fall asleep right there.

But Varin snickered, pulling him out of his sleepy state. Every sound the powerful vampire uttered was like a threat to Sasuke, like a knife slicing his skin, over and over.

"You're right, I don't. But I can't have you completely drained amor. I'll let you save the little blood you have left now."

And with that, he walked away, graceful and elegant as always, as if he hadn't been fucking Sasuke relentlessly for the past few hours.

Sasuke thought of Naruto. Was he still alive? The raven wanted to believe that he was. He didn't want to lose the last sliver of hope he was holding onto.

If Naruto was dead, then he'd miss him too much. It would be the end of him. The vampire hadn't known Naruto very long, but time was so relative. In so little time, Naruto had left an impression on him much more important than those of people Sasuke had known for so many years.

Yes, if Naruto was dead, then he'd miss his smile too much. He'd miss his eyes, and his laugh. He'd miss the way his hair always became spiky in the ends when it dried, and the way he always brought his big, warm, tan hands to scratch the back of his head. He'd miss his lips, his sometimes teasing, and playful, sometimes serious and loving gaze which seemed to see right through people's souls.

Sasuke didn't want to live without him. Like a fool so deeply infatuated, he thought, the world wasn't worth living in without Naruto.

**F & I**

Varin smiled as he stood by the window. If he were to touch the frame it would surely crumble under his fingers. This place was literally falling apart. But he didn't care. There had been enough time – way enough time – to enjoy the fanciest hotels, the most gorgeous mansions, and so on. Right now he had more important matters on his mind.

It had been fun playing with Sasuke a little. Now it was over. But Sakura wanted to have her turn apparently.

"Please, I'd like to go see him now," she said, her voice slightly drunken, "I think I've waited long enough. I'm sure you had your fun…"

Varin didn't look at her. He knew that Neji and Ino were right behind the pink-haired female. Varin just took a sip of his glass of red wine, before resting it onto the window frame again. He looked up. The garden was wild and covered in snow as it introduced a forest. Below those grounds, rested something even older than this abandoned house. Varin smiled and took another sip of wine.

"Sweetheart?" Sakura said hesitantly.

Every time she called him that, he wanted to laugh like a mad person. If she were to describe his heart, figuratively so, the words dark, cold, bitter and broken would be more appropriate. Varin was a very cynical person. He had lived for so long. He didn't care for much things. He didn't care for these people following him around – not even Sakura, although she'd been by his side for so long. He couldn't bring himself to care, it was that simple. And that was sad, really, when he thought about it…

"Just go," he finally said, in his deep, low voice.

The three vampires left him alone. Sakura and Ino were all smiles as they made their way to the stairs which led to the basement door. They creaked and almost gave way under their weight. Varin took one last sip of red wine as he slowly ran his fingers across the window frame, gathering some dust and dirt, and he leaned his head closer to the glass, staring outside absently. Brown bangs fell into his eyes, softening his gaze.

"It's time," he whispered to himself, "isn't it?"

**F & I**

The girls were slightly drunk. They'd had one too many glasses of wine, perhaps. Neji seemed sober. Sakura was the first to step a little closer to Sasuke. She wore a sexy, white see-through dress. Her black bra was visible underneath. Then she had black leggings and high boots. And of course there was her hair, dyed bright pink now. Her style had changed over the years. _She_ hadn't.

"Sasuke! I never stopped loving you, you know?"

Sasuke almost rolled his eyes. But instead he stayed expressionless. He held his knees tight in a clicking of chains, in an attempt to hide as much of his naked, hurt self as possible.

Ino, sporting a somewhat goth look in frilly black skirt and gray top, placed her fist on her hip, looking down at Sasuke.

"My, my, he didn't go easy on you. Why do you do this to yourself Sasuke?"

He glared at her. So much for staying expressionless. Fuck that. Why was he doing this to himself? What a joke. Yeah, he had shot himself in the chest, and then he'd raped himself and bit his own skin numerous times. Yeah. Really, Ino…

But there was something else in her pale teal eyes. He couldn't say what exactly. Perhaps… anger. But why would she be angry? This, being here, was her choice, wasn't it? Sakura spoke again and Sasuke brought his attention back to her.

"I can give you my blood if you want Sasuke. You just have to ask. It'll make you all better. And please excuse Varin. He just really missed you. And I really missed you too, by the way."

She smiled, and Sasuke wanted to smack her and wipe that smile off her stupid face. Behind her, Neji glanced away, full of disdain. Maybe his tailored suit clad ass didn't like being near the naked and hurt vampire. Sasuke wanted to ask him, then why the hell was he down here? Sick, perverted curiosity, maybe. They were all weirdos for being Varin's followers anyway.

But Sasuke didn't address Neji. Instead he chose to answer Sakura. Because he just had to let it out. He chose his words carefully.

"Varin didn't miss me," his voice was calm, but full of hatred. The three looked at him in shock, as though he were truly a pet and it was odd for him to speak up. Nonetheless, he continued, "What do you know about him? You claim you're his partner but if things haven't changed, you're just a pathetic leech clinging to him. Back in the day, I know I was out of it most of the time, but if I remember correctly, when you asked questions, eager to know more about him, he never answered. Eventually you stopped asking."

Neji almost smiled at this, as he glanced at Sakura and said in a low voice, "Actually he's right on…"

Ino snickered. Sakura was fuming. But Sasuke wasn't finished. Still leaning against the wall, and hugging his knees, he ignored the strands of hair falling messily in his black eyes, and spat, "You offer me your blood but you know I don't want it. I've never wanted anything to do with you and that hasn't changed. You say you missed me but same goes for you; you didn't. You missed having something to play with when you're bored. You miss feeling loved, even if you know it's a lie. You liked being in my arms. But I was compelled, Sakura. I was young and weak and Varin's will was too powerful for me to overcome. But you know what Sakura?" He smirked at the helpless and frustrated expression in her pale green eyes, and he hissed, "I can't be compelled anymore, not even by him. So what are you gonna do, huh?"

Sakura looked down, defeated. It didn't help that Ino and Neji were sending mocking glances at her. She stared at Sasuke one last time before walking away. She ran up the stairs and opened the door, walking past it before slamming it shut.

After that Ino came closer. She put one knee down and murmured in his ear, so that Neji wouldn't hear.

"I'm still on your side, you know? I just figured I'd be more useful to you from the inside. Bear with it for a little longer, I'm waiting for the right time to make my move…"

Neji became suspicious as he stepped closer and his black eyebrows furrowed, "What are you doing?"

"Don't be jealous Neji," she purred as she got up and walked closer to him. She raised her hand to caress his cheek teasingly, and flipped her long blonde ponytail behind her shoulder.

Sasuke didn't know what to make of it. He still didn't know if he could trust her or not.

Ino left the basement, swaying her hips as she walked. Neji lingered and Sasuke was about to ask him what the hell he was looking at, when the nicely dressed male spoke first.

"What did she tell you?"

Sasuke looked up, and decided that if he was going to die soon then he might as well try to have some fun.

He licked his bruised, cracked lips and smirked, "That I shouldn't worry; I'm still the best sex she's ever had."

It was fun indeed to see Neji's normally pale face darken considerably as blood rushed to his head. Neji had some insecurities, apparently. He approached and stared him down.

"You better shut your mouth. I don't know why the others are so obsessed with you but…"

"But what? You're not? Congratulations. Kindly get the fuck out of here now."

"You really make me want to…"

Sasuke interrupted him again, "What you're threatening me now? You want to fight me? How brave of you."

Neji swallowed, and looked away. He let out an irritated noise, and Sasuke was shocked as he took off his suit jacket, and threw it at him.

"For Christ's sake cover yourself up…"

Sasuke's expression changed. He was confused now. Without a word he put the large black jacket on him. It pretty much managed to cover up his skinny, curled up body. Sasuke looked up. It seemed Neji wanted to stay and have a little chat or something. Well, not that Sasuke had anything better to do…

The younger vampire went to stand almost at the same spot as Varin before him. There were some more unused chains on the stone wall nearby. The charms of an ancient, condemned torture chamber, Sasuke thought. He wondered again if this really was his old family house. But it didn't make sense… The location was in the city, and Sasuke had already checked it out. It had been destroyed and some stores had been built in its place. Varin had surely just wanted to mess with his head. And it had worked, for a short time. Now somehow, even after everything Varin had done to him, Sasuke's head was clearer.

Neji glanced at the chains and cuffs briefly before drifting his gaze to Sasuke again. They looked at each other in silence for a moment. Sasuke noticed the resemblance with Hinata, Naruto's friend. And of course this made his heart ache once more, as he thought of his lover… His love. Was there still hope? He wondered.

"Why don't you just give in?" Neji finally asked.

Sasuke arched a brow. He wasn't sure he followed. Neji noticed this and spoke again.

"If Varin wants you as his... lover, you should be flattered. He's the most powerful vampire out there. The underworld belongs to him. You don't have to fear anything when you're by his side. Stop resisting."

"You just listed your own reasons for sticking to his butt like a dog," Sasuke mused, looking deep into Neji's pale gray eyes. He suddenly wondered if this young vampire could be compelled by a six centuries old one – namely himself. Hey, it was worth a shot.

But Neji went all defensive as he averted his eyes, "No, not at all. You don't know anything about me." But he was flustered and Sasuke could see that he had been all too right.

He replied, "You don't know anything about me either. And what I told Sakura stands for you too. You don't know anything about Varin. I know how secretive he is. And by the look on your face, I'm right again."

"I'm just saying you should stop resisting," he insisted, "that's all. Your stubbornness is annoying."

Sasuke couldn't help but laugh. This was rich.

Neji looked at him as though he had gone mad. "What's so funny?"

"You are. No seriously. What do you think happened when I met Varin? Clearly no one's told you that lovely tale. What are your theories? That he took my hand and looked into my eyes over a romantic dinner with candles and said, I love you. Please let's be together! I'll be the king of the vampires, you'll be my queen! And that I – such a stubborn bastard, right? – said no and he was all pissed, so he decided to do all… this…" Sasuke waved his hand slightly letting it come out from under the jacket.

Neji was clearly intrigued, as he tilted his head slightly, and narrowed his gray eyes, "Well what happened then?"

Sasuke chuckled bitterly. Then he thought about the compulsion idea again. He purposely made his voice sound all tired and weak – not that it was that difficult.

"Come closer I'm tired of fucking shouting…"

He wasn't under compulsion yet but Neji obeyed. He must have been really eager to know the whole story.

"Varin compelled me," Sasuke said in such a low voice that Neji had to come closer still, "to kill my family, with my sword, at night. So I killed them. The memories," he closed his eyes to make his emotions believable. In truth he was putting on a show, and he just wanted Neji to be close enough so he could look him dead in the eye and compel him, "still haunt me to this day. I can never forgive him. He's a monster, Neji…"

Sasuke's years as an actor in traditional theatre had paid off apparently. Neji was holding his breath as he listened, waiting for more. But it was time to pull down the curtain.

He opened his black eyes wide, "You're gonna help me get out of here. Now."

Sasuke compelled humans all the time. But he'd never tried it on younger vampires. It was the first time, and he didn't have much hope. So he was surprised when it worked so easily.

Neji got to work right away. His eyes dazed, he grabbed the cuffs restraining Sasuke, and broke them one by one with his supernatural strength. It made Sasuke realize just how weak his body was, not to be able to escape from this on his own.

Trembling, Sasuke hurriedly draped his skinny body with the long suit jacket. Then he followed Neji in order to climb up the creaky stairs, which threatened to give way. Sasuke's advantage was that no one expected such a thing to happen.

When Sakura saw them escape through the back door she was so shocked that it took her a few seconds to react. A few seconds were all Sasuke and Neji needed to reach the forest. Sasuke looked around and registered the fact that Varin had definitely been toying with him, as always, when pretending they were in his family's old house. They weren't. They definitely weren't in Kyoto. The country side perhaps, in the middle of nowhere. Neji, still under compulsion, held his pale arm, urging him to go faster. Sasuke wished he had his normal, kick ass speed but unfortunately his body was too hurt.

The next events were like something out of a horror movie.

Varin appeared before them in the thick forest, smiling. It was as though he had materialized right there in front of them, just like with Naruto's powers. But Sasuke knew this wasn't the case. Varin was simply unbelievably fast. He blocked the way.

Sakura and Ino also caught up. This caused Neji to fall out of compulsion. He was brought back to reality and he shook his head in disbelief, as he took a few steps back and joined Ino.

"I'm sorry," Neji looked up, addressing Varin, "I don't know how it happened, I…"

"He tricked you," the elegant brunet said almost fondly as he looked at Sasuke, "he tricked you and you were curious to hear the story of how we met. It's understandable, Neji, I forgive you. Ah, what a story, isn't it? But I'd have to say it's romantic, the way I wanted him all to myself, so I got rid of the people he loved."

Sasuke flinched. But there was something strange about Varin now. The way he said the words… his voice was bitter and cynical, almost sarcastic. As though he was mocking his own speech.

"Sakura," Varin said softly, "take the two others with you and go back inside the house. Drink the last bottle of wine, have fun. Tonight is gonna be… something to remember."

The pink-haired female looked at her master funny, almost worriedly, but she eventually nodded and led the way back to the house. The others also followed obediently. Sasuke looked up briefly and saw through the tree branches that indeed it was still just early evening. The sky wasn't fully dark yet. What did Varin mean, tonight was gonna be something to remember?

He didn't have time to ponder it. In a split second Varin was close, too close, holding him. One strong arm held his tiny waist and the other held Sasuke's pale cheek. Varin's green eyes were even more frightening than ever, and that was saying something.

"I should punish you for what you did. Neji is very precious to me, you know? You didn't have the right to do that…"

"Bullshit," Sasuke hissed, holding his gaze bravely despite his weakened state, "you don't care about him. You don't care about anyone."

"How strange, Sasuke. You know me well. Despite all those years apart. But you see, I still want to punish you…" Varin ran his cold fingers across Sasuke's face, and they came close to his eyes.

Sasuke couldn't do anything. He reflexively squeezed his eyes shut, flinched and squirmed but Varin was way too strong. Whenever he held him, it was like being caught in a tight prison of steel. Varin pressed his fingers into his eyes, crushing them. Sasuke screamed out in pain.

He had never felt anything so painful before. His deep, rasp, broken voice pierced the silence of the dark forest. His knees bucked and he would have fallen but Varin held him. Sasuke's back arched as the old vampire continued crushing his orbs into his skull. Sasuke almost lost consciousness. It would have been better, perhaps.

But he was in a half-conscious state. He couldn't see anything anymore, even when Varin removed his fingers. His eyes were too hurt. Blood was pouring from them generously. Perhaps the damage was beyond repair, Sasuke didn't know. But for the first time fear gripped his heart and the little blood he had left froze in his veins. As he felt his lithe body fall, and collapse on the cold ground he realized, for the first time, that he was really going to die tonight.

He knew it, from the tone Varin used, and the words he chose.

"It hurts doesn't it? I know, Sasuke. I've had this done to me before. Oh it could heal, but it would take a long time. A very long time."

His voice was sad. Sasuke listened, because this was the only thing he could do. Everything hurt. His eyes hurt. His body was limp. He just listened. Varin knew that he was still conscious – barely, perhaps, but conscious. Sasuke felt him sit next to him and flinched ever so slightly. But Varin silently ripped a piece of his silk shirt, only to lift Sasuke's head almost tenderly and wrap the soft fabric around his head, to cover his eyes. He tied it in his hair. Then he put his head down just as carefully and sleeked his messy raven locks.

"I've had a lot of things done to me. I've been hurt. Not that you would know. You never cared. You never asked. And that's why I'm so selfish Sasuke. _Because everyone is._ I used to care about people, you know? A long time ago… but I've been betrayed." His voice was absent now. It was as though he was looking back at memories, and talking more to himself. He continued caressing Sasuke's hair, "I'm gonna need you one last time amor. I'm gonna need your blood. It's convenient that you came outside after all. I have you right where I need you."

Varin's fingers, already warm and wet with Sasuke's blood, ran across his scarred chest after opening the jacket. The nails dug in his skin and pushed so hard that Sasuke's body sank into the ground. Varin's hand crushed the bones and moved past them to reach his heart. Sasuke let out one last strangled scream as blood gushed out, and spread on the ground below him.

There was only pure, intense, unbearable pain, and then, as his ears buzzed, and his body lost all sensations, there was nothing.

...

**So crazy stuff happens in this chapter, with a pretty bad cliffhanger, and I just don't want you to freak out. I'll edit the next chapter and have it uploaded as fast as I can - maybe even later tonight. So don't worry.. this story isn't a tragedy or anything.**


	29. Stranger

**29. Stranger**

The atmosphere in the van as Kiba drove was incredibly tensed, almost dreadful. Miku was sitting still in the passenger seat. Her usual smile and relaxed expression had given way to a worried, frightened look. Her blue eyes were wide as she glanced everywhere around, as though the night held answers as to who would win this battle.

Nagato and his boyfriend Kamijo sat in the middle. The young police officer had his handgun ready. He might as well have been wearing his uniform. Nagato had refused to bring a weapon. He was relying solely on his powers. This would be, he had said, his revenge for his sister Kushina. She had been killed by vampires working for Varin, after all.

Naruto sat in the back seat, uncomfortable in between Suigetsu and Deidara. The three of them, unlike Nagato, held guns. Furnished by none other than Deidara. He seemed to be really on their side this time. He said he wanted revenge from Varin too. Because he hadn't given him any money. Naruto really couldn't care less. With Suigetsu they kept exchanging determined glances. If Sasuke was still alive – and they didn't want to think otherwise – well they would save him no matter what.

The blonde, new born vampire thought back about what his uncle had said. Revenge for Kushina. It was true. This wasn't only for Sasuke. It was for his mother. And for all the Uzumaki that Varin had tormented throughout the years. This would be a good thing. The old, powerful vampire deserved to die once and for all. Also, Naruto thought about his father. He had stayed behind which was for the best. Truth be told, Kamijo should have stayed behind too. But Nagato hadn't been able to convince him.

"I always said," the dark-haired young man kept saying to Nagato, "that if you had to fight, then I'd be by your side. You always agreed with me."

"Never thought it'd actually happen again…" the red-head would reply in a low, irritated voice. In truth, it was obvious he was scared for his lover.

Naruto's heart clenched in pain at the thought of anything bad happening to these people. Kiba and Miku. Nagato and his boyfriend. Even Suigetsu and… okay maybe not Deidara. To be honest Naruto didn't really care about Deidara. But Suigetsu seemed to like him in spite of it all and so Naruto thought, it would be great if they could all come out of this alive.

The silence was heavy. It was broken only when Deidara gave directions, talking loudly from the back seat so Kiba could hear. Kiba would just nod and take a left or right, the headlights dancing in the dark. Naruto had never been so tensed and nervous in his life.

He'd drank so much blood before leaving the apartment. Deidara and Suigetsu had done likewise. They were as ready as they would ever be. Thirst wasn't a problem. Their supernatural bodies were as strong as could be. But Suigetsu had warned them.

"You guys let me handle Sakura. She's too old, and strong. I know she doesn't look it but she'll tear you apart. You guys can maybe take on Neji. I don't know what Ino's gonna do but… stay away from her too."

Deidara and Naruto had just nodded. This was no time to defend their honor as males and good fighters or whatever. And they knew it. This was serious. Tonight… there was something weird in the air. Naruto was scared. He'd never been so scared in his life. He couldn't shake it off.

He just wanted to be with Sasuke. He wanted to hold him and caress his silky raven hair. He wanted to be somewhere quiet and peaceful with him, alone, just the two of them. He wanted to tell him that everything was okay again. He wanted to kiss him.

"There's maybe fifteen minutes left before we get there," Deidara mentioned at some point, clutching his gun as he glanced out the window.

"So as soon as we get there Kiba and I transform…" Miku began.

"You let us attack first," Nagato continued, "and you come to our help when the enemy least expects it. You guys are our best asset in this fight."

"We all aim at their leader," Kamijo said questioningly as he looked behind his shoulder, "can you describe him again, Naruto?"

If the young cop was uncomfortable with the fact that his boyfriend's nephew was a vampire now, well he was hiding it very well. Naruto was grateful.

He nodded and said, "Tall, short dark hair…"

"You'll know right away," Suigetsu cut him, "I mean Neji has really long hair, and he looks kinda young, maybe late teens. Varin looks older. The two others are girls."

Kamijo nodded, looking at Nagato, "So we aim for that guy, and then…?"

"We join in," Kiba said. He reached out to take Miku's hand and squeezed it comfortingly. Naruto saw and made a little smile. He loved them so much. If anything happened he'd never forgive himself.

"We have to win," he whispered, almost desperately.

Suigetsu nudged him and shrugged, "Don't worry about it. We'll win for sure okay? We've got freakin' werewolves on our side."

"And guns," Deidara said looking down at his semi automatic like it was the love of his life, but they ignored him.

"We're shape shifters," Miku corrected. "But he's right Naruto. We're seven against four, aren't we? They don't stand a chance."

"I guess…" Naruto swallowed hard. God he hoped they were right.

"You have to attack Varin, Kiba," Suigetsu said almost urgently. They could see a house in the distance now. Suigetsu added, "You're the only one who can."

"I know, I know," Kiba nodded, tapping the wheel with his hands nervously. They kept telling him. Of course he knew.

Naruto wanted to tell everyone to be careful, to fucking stay alive, but what good would that do? He just wanted everything to be okay again... but it wasn't that easy.

**F & I**

They really were in the middle of nowhere. Everything was so calm, and quiet. The house had this decrepit thing going on, like leaning against it would cause a wall to collapse. For a moment as they stood outside, Naruto wondered if they were at the right place. Just a moment. It didn't last very long.

Varin appeared from the back. Flanked to his sides were Sakura, Ino and Neji. It was strange. They were all nicely dressed. They all looked young. In any other circumstances, they might have looked for the world like runway models, with the wind blowing in their hair.

Everything happened so fast, but they soon realized one thing. Aiming for Varin had been a mistake. Naruto and Suigetsu weren't experts. Either they missed, or the powerful vampire dodged easily. As for Kamijo and Deidara, they had perfect aim. Really, it was impressive. Oh they got him, that wasn't the problem. Actually the human cop got him in the shoulder, and Deidara got him in the chest.

But in a matter of seconds the two bullets had fallen to the ground; Varin's skin was already healed. Naruto and the others hesitated before firing again. This hesitation almost cost their lives. Varin wasn't the only one with extremely fast movements.

Next thing Naruto knew, Neji was attacking him. For a split second there, Naruto found himself wondering, why was Neji doing this? What had possibly happened to Hyuga Neji, cousin of the sweet, kind girl Hinata? Why were they fighting? This was madness.

And then there was no time for existential questions. It wasn't Naruto's first fight. He knew the familiar tingling in the legs, the adrenaline, anticipation, and fear. But it was his first fight as a vampire. Blood boiled in his veins and he felt in control of his inhuman strength. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before – or it was the same feeling as a human getting into a fight, but tenfold. The new born vampire's senses were alert. Time seemed to slow down.

Neji threw a deathly punch, but Naruto shifted, dodged, and instead grabbed Neji's arm to throw him to the ground in a swift movement. The dark-haired vampire graciously rolled over and jumped back to his feet. He wasn't harmed. He jumped on Naruto again.

Next to them, Naruto noticed from the corner of his eye, Deidara was fighting Sakura. And the pink-haired female had the upper hand. Deidara's precious gun was on the ground, out of reach. Deidara couldn't afford to lose his focus, or else he'd die.

In fact, these brief observations cost Naruto. Neji hit him in the gut, hard. Naruto was sent flying a few meters. But then the pain disappeared, just like that. As a human, he would've been hurting for hours, maybe even days. He would've been sore for a while. He would've had trouble laughing or even bending over. As a vampire, well, the pain was already gone, a few seconds after getting hit. Naruto smirked despite himself, gaining confidence. He really couldn't help it. The adrenaline made him go crazy. He launched at Neji.

**F & I**

"_You think we should go now?"_ Miku seemed to ask.

Kiba couldn't use telepathy to communicate with his girlfriend when they were both in their animal forms, respectively a big white dog and red fox, but it came pretty close. Their instincts immediately told them what the other was thinking. They could communicate through noises, movements, and especially gazes.

The night was freezing, and they were sitting in the snow. But with their thick fur they weren't bothered by it.

The dog glanced at the fight developing before their eyes. Varin had taken down Kamijo first. The poor human had been sent harshly across the lawn, until his body hit the van and collapsed. Varin had most likely wanted to take him down since he was being annoying and shooting bullets. Now Nagato was freaking out as he sat next to his injured boyfriend. Kiba couldn't be sure with the distance – they were hidden on the other side of the country road, behind some trees – but it didn't look like he was dead. Or else Nagato would really be going batshit.

That blonde vampire chick was fighting Suigetsu. But it looked like they were talking, as though they didn't really want to fight, like they were just pretending or something. That girl with bright pink hair had the upper hand on Deidara. And Naruto was trying really hard, but the vampire with long black hair had the upper hand too. Things did not look good. For now, Varin just stood and watched, expressionless. Might as well be eating popcorn, Kiba thought darkly.

Kiba exchanged a glance with Miku and it was enough. They were going now. Show time. The pressure on Kiba's shoulders disappeared, replace by pure magical energy. The blood running through his veins was on fire.

Miku in her fox appearance directly went by her brother's side, to help him in his fight against the vampire with long black hair. If he were in his human form Kiba would have smirked; that guy didn't stand a chance. Miku was really strong. They'd been training together a lot. Kiba knew.

As for Kiba himself, in his big white dog appearance, which looked kind of like a wolf, well he attacked Varin straight away. He knew what he had to do. The others couldn't have insisted more on this. Kiba was their only chance to defeat Varin. He had to do this. It had to work. After all the training with Miku, the male shape shifter was confident in his powers. So with a positive attitude and high hopes, Kiba launched at the old vampire with the treacherous youthful appearance of a handsome brunet guy. Not treacherous enough; Kiba knew it was him. He could feel his powers. They scared him a little, but not enough to stop him.

His naive hopes were shattered in one instant; Varin, barely moving, lifted his arm and powerfully hit Kiba's side. This vampire's movements were so fast that they were hard to follow with human eyes. Kiba fell with a low growl as he rolled over and got back up on all fours. Varin had hit him the same way he would just flick off a bug. And those creepy green eyes of his were taunting him. He would pay.

Anger taking over, Kiba jumped back into the fight. He tried to bite Varin's neck, remembering how effective it had been when fighting Sasuke. But this one wouldn't let him. Varin was on the defensive now, blocking his every move skillfully. Kiba tried to surprise him by biting other body parts, or even clawing at him; anything. But the situation got extremely frustrating as Varin seemed to know his moves in advance, as though this was a rehearsed fight. He remained unharmed.

On the contrary, Kiba took quite a few hits. His ribs ached where Varin had hit him before. His front legs hurt from being blocked and crushed. The fight went on. Kiba only got weaker. This was not good.

Finally Varin got tired of this it seemed, and he maneuvered so he could kick his aching side again roughly. Kiba fell and couldn't get back up. His ribs were broken and he was too hurt.

**F & I**

Ino winked at him, as she reached for the knife in her boot. She was going to attack now. Suigetsu panicked.

"No," he tried one last time, "don't go, it's no use…"

But she wouldn't listen. She had taken her decision. It turned out she'd remained on his side the whole time. She'd wanted to betray Varin at the last second. It felt good to know that. He had missed her. But now he feared for her life.

She made a run for it. But even though he had just finished fighting Kiba, it seemed Varin saw her coming miles away. He looked somewhat amused as he just sidestepped and the knife missed by merely an inch. Ino stopped in her tracks, and prepared to attack again. Sure, she was incredibly fast and strong. But not enough.

Varin grabbed her wrist, and twisted her arm behind her back. Ino yelled in pain, and the knife fell. Varin bent over, grabbed it, and sliced it through her back. She choked out in pain as blood escaped her lips and he tossed her to the ground.

Things weren't going so well. Kamijo was down, and Nagato was in shock apparently. Kiba was down. So was Deidara; Sakura had just won the fight. Still, Suigetsu was impressed that Deidara had lasted at least a little while against her. Next Sakura wanted to fight Suigetsu, of course.

"Oh was he your friend?" She tilted her head, smiling, as she watched him look down at Deidara. She had broken his neck. "Oh I'm so sorry," she exaggerated her apologetic tone to mock him, "I didn't know…"

"I'll break your fucking neck, see if you like that," Suigetsu snapped.

They started fighting.

On the meantime, Naruto and Miku had brought Neji down, and next they attacked Varin together. Apparently they had forgotten the spell cursing the Uzumaki or maybe they wanted to try anyway. Either way, it failed. In fox form, Miku couldn't even approach him, like an invisible force was pushing her away. As for Naruto, he did jump on him to attack, but he wasn't much more successful than Kiba or Ino before him.

Naruto wasn't in such a good state and he couldn't get back up just yet. He had been too reckless, and had broken limbs and bruises all over and his lip was bleeding. Everything was healing but it was taking some more time now. Miku stayed next to him protectively but Varin didn't care. He walked over to Kamijo and Nagato, actually.

Suigetsu took in all this from the corner of his eye, while he fought Sakura. It was good to realize that they were pretty much on the same level of skill, even though she was much older. Suigetsu had more fighting experience, he supposed, since he'd always been a trouble maker whereas Sakura had stayed by Varin's side pretty much her whole life, never getting in danger and never faced with the necessity to fight.

He managed to hit her face pretty bad, which gave him a great amount of satisfaction. At some point though, that nasty little bitch, enraged, grabbed his silver hair to yank his head back and bit his neck ferociously. Suigetsu gasped and screamed as he gathered his strength and managed to push her away. He was horrified when she spat out a chunk of his skin. Sakura's dress was all blood stained at this point.

She yelled angrily as she attacked him again. Suigetsu backed away and got defensive. He had no choice. His neck stung. He felt tired and emotionally drained. Where was Sasuke? Was he okay? What was the point of this fight? It looked like they weren't going to win. What happened then?

He saw his gun which had been tossed aside on the ground during his previous fight with Ino, and hope filled him again. If he could just reach for it… He dived down, startling Sakura. She hadn't expected this. He tried to aim at her but missed. It wasn't because of his poor skills though. Something else was happening.

The earth had started trembling. There was an earthquake, or rather, not exactly. It was caused by Nagato's magical powers. Surely he had panicked and feared for his partner's life as Varin approached so he was using this as a last resort. The only problem being, it didn't affect only his enemies.

Actually it didn't affect Varin at all. The spell on the Uzumaki worked against them once more. Well either that or the eldest vampire was able to regain perfect balance even through a violent earthquake.

But for the rest of them, it was chaos. Sakura fell. Their fight was interrupted. Ino had regained consciousness at this point, and she tried to reach Suigetsu but it was difficult with the unstable ground. Naruto tried to stand but he fell again. He seemed panicked, and Suigetsu soon understood why. The house was not going to stand through this. And what if Sasuke was trapped inside? The walls were already starting to crumble.

"Nagato!" Naruto yelled, "Stop!"

But he didn't stop. He was like in some sort of trance, or frenzy. It didn't make any sense, but the ground below him and Kamijo wasn't moving. Then again, magic never really made sense. As for Varin, he had jumped on top on the van and he watched the scenery before him, expressionless. Neji and Deidara were still unconscious.

Suigetsu reached Ino and they held each other. Nearby, Miku and Kiba, still in their animal shapes, snuggled closer as well. Maybe this wouldn't help them survive this night, but at least it provided momentary comfort.

Due to the violent earthquake, the house expectedly collapsed in a cloud of dust and pieces of crumbling stone. Some of the vampires were hit by the flying projectiles. Ino removed herself from Suigetsu's hold, and went to protect Neji's unconscious body. Suigetsu swallowed his jealousy for now wasn't the time. Actually he decided to do the same for Deidara.

When it was over, and only the dust was left hanging in the cold night air, all fell silent. Nagato was barely conscious due to all this magical energy he had unleashed. Suigetsu gasped as he noticed that, in the distance, the forest hadn't been left unharmed. So many trees had fallen. This was insane.

Sakura, Ino and Suigetsu slowly stood. They looked at one another but made no move to resume fighting. There was something strange in the air now. A foreign presence, something as strong and threatening as Varin, or perhaps even more. Fear gripped at Suigetsu's heart. What was going on?

He flicked messy silvery locks away from his face. His clothes were torn and blood stained but he didn't care. He narrowed his violet eyes as he looked at a silhouette in the distance, walking through the dust surrounding the collapsed house.

At first Suigetsu thought it was Sasuke. It looked like him, anyway. But then he frowned as he realized it couldn't be. The presence was different, the scent, everything. It wasn't Sasuke. But who was it then?

As he emerged from the dust Suigetsu was startled. He really did look like Sasuke. He could be his twin brother. Everyone was shocked, and speechless. The ones who were conscious sent glances at one another, forgetting for a moment that they were supposed to be enemies. But clearly no one knew what was going on. No one but Varin. He smiled and jumped down the van, before walking toward a pile of debris. He took out a suitcase, then a long black trench coat. He threw it at the strange vampire.

"It's been such a long time, Izuna," Varin said simply, voice full of contained emotions. Although Suigetsu couldn't tell what these emotions were precisely. Was he happy to see him, or angry? Was it love or hatred in those deep green eyes? It was impossible to tell.

"I can't believe it," the other whispered in reply, speaking Japanese. His voice was rasp and strangled.

The male was skeletic, and had pure white skin, it was almost frightening. He put on the coat to cover himself. His movements were somewhat slow and clumsy. His jet black hair was long; it reached his lower back. His face was delicate but not quite as pretty as Sasuke's. His eyes were pure black.

Naruto burst out, as he got up on trembling legs. His clothes were just as torn and dirtied as Suigetsu's. His blonde locks were infinitely messy. He clearly couldn't contain himself any longer.

"Who is he? Where the fuck is Sasuke? Answer me!"

The stranger and Varin both looked at him, then seemed to dismiss him as unimportant for now.

"Has it really been a thousand years?" The pale, black-haired male asked in a low voice.

Wait, what, a thousand years? Suigetsu's violet eyes widened, and the others were equally shocked by the exchange before them. What the hell was going on? Who was this guy?

"Day for day. Tonight." Varin said, stepping closer to the other. He wasn't like the rest of them, worn out and tired after fighting, no, he was perfect as always. Except for his pale green silk shirt, which had a part of the sleeve ripped off.

"Why did you do it?" He searched the other's eyes with wide black orbs.

"The witch was too easy on you, putting you to a peaceful sleep like that, don't you think? You could say I've had more than enough time to think of better ways to get my revenge."

The tension was building up. Suigetsu and Ino reflexively got closer to each other again. Miku and Kiba ran to the other side of the deserted road. They hid behind the trees, perhaps to transform back into their human forms. Naruto glanced at them, then his blue gaze drifted back to the two strange, old vampires reuniting before their very eyes.

"Don't you think you got your revenge already?" He spoke in Japanese, but his accent was old, and strange. Suigetsu understood to an extent. But he could tell the others were having trouble.

"So you know." Varin spoke in English. But they understood each other without a problem, it seemed.

"Let's just say, I wasn't sleeping peacefully."

Suigetsu was just really worried about Sasuke and he knew he wasn't the only one. But the atmosphere was so tensed that they were all afraid to speak. Slowly Kiba and Miku, now fully dressed again, and looking tired as hell, came to join the rest. They stood next to Naruto.

"I was aware of the world changing, all around…" The pale man narrowed his eyes. The cold wind blew in his ridiculously long black hair. "Granted, it was like a long night of sleep for me. I was mostly unconscious – but at times I was aware. I know what you did. I know everything. You've made quite a reputation for yourself in this world."

Varin raised a hesitant hand, as if to caress the other's hair, but then he dropped it as he said, "You should know, it's all because of you."

His hand was smacked away. "I know what you did to him. Was that your sick, twisted idea of revenge?"

"Oh, but I'm only getting started…"

Naruto suddenly did what no one else could. He stepped closer to the two, and interrupted them, staring bravely, and clenching his fists. Suigetsu thought that he could never get tired of admiring the blonde. His very own creation. He was by far the most beautiful vampire Suigetsu had turned.

Even like this, tired, and hurt, Naruto was quite a sight. The transformation had made his skin a pure, almost glowing pale gold. His hair was sleeker, and blonder than before. But his eyes were amazing. They were gems. They had been breath taking as a human. Now they were so beautiful, the blue shade so dark, so deep, and so intense that it was intimidating. His tall, lean body had been rendered even more graceful and perfect.

Varin and Izuna looked at him this time.

Naruto asked urgently, "Are you talking about Sasuke? Where is he now?"

Suigetsu held his breath as he waited for the reply. Surprisingly Varin looked away, almost ashamed, an expression Suigetsu had never thought he would see on the man's face. Izuna spoke instead.

"You should go to him. You should know where he is."

As though struck by lightning, Naruto tensed, and his eyes widened in realization. He looked at the forest. As though someone had needed to tell him for him to remember that he could indeed sense Sasuke's presence out there. But Suigetsu was confused. How come he couldn't sense it then?

Naruto started walking, but Izuna took his arm. They locked eyes. Naruto seemed troubled by the resemblance with his lover. Suigetsu could certainly understand his feelings.

"You still have your powers," the raven-haired male said, before letting Naruto go.

The blonde looked confused, but he took off running without a word. He soon disappeared in the dark, thick, and partly destroyed forest.

**F & I**

As soon as that Sasuke look-alike guy – Izuna was his name if Naruto wasn't mistaken – had told him that he should know where Sasuke was exactly, well Naruto realized he could indeed feel his presence, although so faintly… He just _knew_ where he was. It was that simple. He had no idea how, but he knew. So he ran to the forest ravaged by Nagato's earthquake. Naruto was panting.

He had fought Neji. It hadn't been easy. Miku had been forced to come to his help in her fox form. Then they had tried fighting Varin together. Bad idea. Since Miku was using magic she couldn't approach him because of the spell. As for Naruto he hadn't been able to harm him either. Varin was too fast and strong compared to the new born vampire. Actually that was an understatement. There was no comparison.

Naruto's body ached but at least his wounds were healed. He swallowed hard as he finally spotted Sasuke's body in the dark forest. He was in a bad shape. Blood stained the snowy ground all around him. Moreover, a tree had fallen on his back – most likely during the earthquake – thus crushing his lithe body. Naruto gathered his supernatural strength and with a low growl picked up the trunk and threw it away. He wasn't amazed that he was able to do this. There was no time.

Kneeling down, Naruto swiftly flicked messy pale blonde strands from his face before reaching out to roll Sasuke's body over. A torn black jacket barely covered him. Naruto let out a pained gasp at seeing his lover so beat up as he held him closer carefully. There was a piece of green clothing used as a makeshift blindfold. There was blood staining it. Sasuke's eyes were hurt. And on his chest was a terrible open wound. His heart had literally been crushed.

Naruto was freaking out, and frantically whispering, "No, no, no, no…"

Lifting the pale, injured body carefully under his arms Naruto pulled him closer, resting his head on his knees. He tore at his own wrists with his pointy fangs, barely flinching at the pain, and as he breathed heavily and nervously, he offered the blood to Sasuke. He placed one bleeding, trembling wrist right above his slightly parted lips, and the other loomed over his chest. If his supernatural, healing blood was pouring down directly in the wound, surely it would heal, no? It just seemed to make sense to Naruto.

He had to rip off his wrists again and repeat his actions, because his own skin was healing. If only Sasuke could heal, too… But it didn't seem to be working. Sasuke wasn't waking up. He wasn't coming back to life to drink the blood that could save him. He was really dead this time, wasn't he?

And just as Naruto was starting to despair, he remembered Izuna's words. _You still have your powers._

Naruto sniffed and wiped his eyes. He hadn't even realized he was crying tears of blood. He didn't notice the freezing cold wind, or the snow slowly starting to fall either. His blue eyes saw nothing but Sasuke. He needed to fix him. This was worth a shot.

He didn't rip off his wrists this time. But he kept his hands above both injuries. He concentrated. His dark blue eyes widened in shock as he realized there was indeed this magical energy still inside of him. It had been there the whole time. But he had been so sure his powers were lost that it had just seemed to vanish. But no, the magic was really there, inside of him, waiting to be used.

It was like a warm, tingling, familiar sensation in his hands. And Naruto's magic could heal. It was still working now, even though he was a vampire. Tears of joy mixed in with the previous sad ones as he saw the wound on Sasuke's chest repair itself. It was a gruesome sight, but Naruto didn't drift his eyes from it. He didn't care. All he cared about was fixing him. He needed him.

"Sasuke…" he whispered in a teary voice, "please... be okay."

The chest wound was almost completely healed now. The bones were no longer broken. Sasuke's heart started beating again. It was a miracle. And Naruto's magic was the cause for it. He smiled as he slowly put his hand on the now completely healed, pale chest. Some color returned to Sasuke's skin. It was no longer grayish. Naruto carefully removed the bloodied blindfold. His eyes were closed, but they seemed perfectly fine. There was only dried blood, which Naruto tenderly tried to clean with the hem of his sleeves.

After using so much energy the blonde felt weak, but he didn't care. He lifted Sasuke's skinny, limp body again so he could hold him in his arms. His pale skin was freezing cold. Determined, Naruto brought his wrist to his own lips again to rip off the skin with his fangs. Then he pressed it to his lover's lips. This had to wake him up.

It did. Sasuke's eyelids fluttered but he didn't open them just yet. Instead he parted his dry lips a little more and he slowly sank his own fangs in the offered wrist. Naruto was hurting, but he cried in happiness, and sighed in relief. He squeezed Sasuke's thin shoulders tight as he held him close, and he rested his chin on top of Sasuke's head. He was going to be okay.

"I'm never letting you leave my sight again," he whispered. He didn't care if it didn't make sense. He wanted to say this. He kissed Sasuke's hair. Even messy and dirty, his hair was soft and smelled sweet. Sasuke's scent. Sasuke's presence. Just, him. No one had the right to take that from Naruto.

He murmured, "I'm gonna take care of you."

Sasuke drank hungrily and Naruto felt himself going weak but it didn't matter. He just held Sasuke and he continued talking softly. He knew that Sasuke could hear him.

"After you got captured, Suigetsu found me and changed me. He had no choice," he explained in a low voice. "I was so sure that I had lost my powers. But turns out I still have them," he chuckled disbelievingly, "can you believe it? I'm so glad… I could heal you."

He squeezed him tight. Sasuke stopped drinking. He opened his eyes and they were fine. They were beautiful and dark and perfect and Naruto smiled and wrapped his arms around him, sliding his hands under the suit jacket to touch his smooth skin. But then Sasuke pushed him away gently and held his shoulders. He looked fascinated, and a bit freaked out.

"You saved me, _again_," he said in a raspy voice, "thank you."

"Don't mention it," Naruto couldn't help but smile. But it faded as Sasuke looked more and more freaked out with every passing second.

The raven brought pale hands to his neck, and slid his fingers up to his defined jaw line. He locked eyes with Naruto, before looking down at his lips – or, Naruto understood, at his fangs. Then he looked up again.

"He had no choice…?"

Naruto just shook his head sadly. Sasuke dropped one hand. Naruto caught it and laced their fingers. Sasuke's free hand caressed Naruto's hair. They kissed. It was comforting, soft, and sweet more than anything. It didn't last long. They were exhausted. They held each other close, leaning into one another. The snow intensified. Some flakes stuck to Sasuke's black hair.

Since he still had his powers, Naruto reached out to read Sasuke's mind.

_Where is Izuna now? And Varin…?_

Sasuke's mind was full of unanswered questions. Naruto locked eyes with him as he replaced some raven strands behind his ears delicately.

"You know about that... Izuna guy?"

"Earlier," Sasuke said, "when he clawed his way out of the ground, he drank my blood. That's what finished me off…"

For the first time, Naruto looked around, and noticed there was indeed a large gash in the ground, with a pile of earth surrounding it. Difficult to notice with all the fallen trees and branches everywhere, but it was there. So Izuna had literally clawed his way out? That was fucked up. Naruto wasn't sure he understood.

But Sasuke wasn't finished. "He can use telepathy, like you. So he sort of told me his story when he drank my blood. It was so intense," Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and Naruto held him comfortingly, "actually he didn't really tell his story per say… it was more like… he showed it to me. The images were there and I could only watch. But I don't know what he hoped by telling me about his and Varin's past…" Sasuke's expression hardened as he pulled away weakly, "I won't change my mind. I still want Varin dead."

He got up to his feet, trembling. The jacket barely covered his thighs. Naruto kept his arms around him, as though afraid to let go. His pale eyebrows furrowed.

"You're in no shape to…"

"I know," Sasuke cut him, his voice softer now. He seemed so tired, as the wind blew in his long raven hair wildly. He said, "You and me, we're gonna rest. We're gonna get better, drink blood, and then, we're gonna go find Varin and kill him. I don't care if we have to fucking use dynamite this time."

Naruto almost smiled, "Whatever you want. You know that ever since I heard the story I've wanted that guy dead. I'm at your orders."

"I love you Naruto," Sasuke said, his tone emotional all of a sudden. They locked eyes and Sasuke leaned closer, "I love you so much. I don't care if you're a human or a vampire. I'll always love you. Tonight, I really thought that I was gonna die, for good, and… I just… couldn't stand the thought of never seeing you again. And before, when I thought… you'd died, I just…"

He was panting. His body was clearly still going through the shock of what had happened in the past few hours. Naruto held him tight, so tight. He rubbed soothing circles on his back.

"Shh… you don't have to say anything. We should go see what the others are up to."

As he said this he pulled away so that he could button up the jacket covering Sasuke. It was better than nothing. They walked, and Sasuke leaned on Naruto for support. The blonde wrapped his arm around his waist, keeping him close protectively.

"This… Izuna…" Naruto said hesitantly, "he's your ancestor, isn't he?"

Sasuke just nodded slightly. He took in the sight of the collapsed stone house. He didn't comment. He pressed himself closer to Naruto. They realized that, on the ravaged front yard, only Ino, Suigetsu, Miku and Kiba were standing - barely - close to the van. Deidara lay down unconscious on the ground. Naruto looked passed them and saw that Nagato sat behind the wheel of the van, and Kamijo was lying down on the backseat. Right, he'd been hurt before. Naruto bit his lip with one fang as he thought.

Sure he wondered where the hell were the rest; their enemies, and the new comer… But there would be time for questions later. There was something Naruto wanted to do. These people had come here to help him, and they'd gotten hurt. Now, weakened or not, he had to use his powers to heal them.


	30. History repeats itself

**30. History repeats itself**

Nagato was arguing with Kiba and Miku. He wanted to leave right away, to drive to a hospital as quickly as possible. No cell phones worked here apparently. They couldn't call for help. Nagato wanted to just drive off but Miku and Kiba were trying to convince him to wait for Naruto's return.

On the meantime Suigetsu gasped and ran toward the two. He held Sasuke's arm before pulling him into a warm hug. Sasuke returned it. Naruto didn't mind. Actually it was convenient.

"Be right back," he said and locked eyes with Suigetsu momentarily, as though telling him not to let Sasuke out of his sight even for one second.

Naruto ran toward the car. He was exhausted but he wanted to use his powers again, to save Nagato's boyfriend if he could.

"What are you doing?" The red head practically yelled as Naruto hopped in the back and let his hands hover above the thin, dark-haired male.

"Where was he hurt?"

"You saw!" Nagato exclaimed, looking behind his shoulder, "Didn't you? When we got here he shot their leader and then… then that guy just grabbed him and threw him he landed on the car but I mean… I think he has a concussion and maybe his spine is hurt and oh god…"

Naruto barely listened. It didn't matter what injury he suffered from exactly, did it? He was confident in his powers now. If someone needed to be fixed, then he could fix them if he put enough of his magic into it. But with Kamijo, there was no telling if he was indeed healed or not. Soon Naruto was panting and completely exhausted, even more so than before. He ran a shaky hand through his messy blonde locks as he stepped out of the car and backed away. Nagato crawled to the back and touched his boyfriend's cheek, before glancing sideways at his nephew.

"Did you… do something? What did you do?"

"Try to wake him up," Naruto said weakly, on the verge of passing out. He leaned his arm onto the top of the van.

Nagato talked softly while caressing his boyfriend's hair and the latter woke up and blinked a few times. He sat up and it seemed he was fully recovered.

When Naruto looked behind his shoulder, he saw that Suigetsu and Sasuke had come closer. The raven was leaning on his best friend for support. But they both glanced down at Deidara, who was still unconscious. Naruto sighed, and without waiting for anyone to ask, well he sat next to the skinny blonde male and proceeded to heal him too. Ino stepped closer to watch, fascinated. Nagato hugged his boyfriend in the car. Suigetsu and Sasuke just stood tiredly, also watching Naruto's miraculous powers in action.

Deidara was curled up on his side when he finally woke up, his neck completely healed now. Still, he brought one hand to touch the side of his neck and winced in pain, but it was probably more psychological than anything. He slowly looked up at Naruto as he sat. His clear blue eyes widened in shock.

"You… saved me? You did, didn't you? Oh my god… and I was always such a jerk to you! Naruto, the truth is, I think you're amazing, and I was always jealous of you… You're so great, and perfect, and everyone loves you, and I… Naruto?"

There was no time to listen to Deidara's emotional rant right now. Naruto had noticed Kiba was hurt, too, and he wanted to heal him before passing out. Kiba was indeed abnormally pale and his breathing heaved as he leaned on both the car and his girlfriend for support. Naruto approached him and touched where Kiba was holding his side.

"You don't have to," he said weakly but his hazel eyes betrayed that he was in pain.

"It's okay," Naruto whispered.

He used the very last of his energy to heal him. The others stood in respectful silence. Kiba's eyes widened in disbelief at what was happening. Surely enough, his ribs were healed thanks to Naruto's powers. The next instant he was thanking him, rather emotional and grateful just like Deidara had been. But Naruto wasn't listening.

He couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. He couldn't move his body. His ears were buzzing and the others' voices were fading away.

"Kiba," Sasuke's low voice said behind him, "let's get him in the car…"

"We should hurry," Ino said, "we have one, maybe two hours before dawn."

Naruto felt safe when he felt Sasuke's hands on him. He drifted completely to unconsciousness. His body desperately needed to rest now.

**F & I**

Suigetsu and Ino had volunteered to sit in the trunk of the car, behind the seats. They had no choice. There wasn't enough place for everyone. Sasuke sat in the back, with Naruto and Deidara sleeping on either side of him. Sasuke was pressed close to Naruto, holding him with one arm as the blonde head rested on his shoulder peacefully.

Sasuke was terribly angry and frustrated. He wasn't scared anymore. He hated Varin so much – even more than before, and he hadn't thought that could be possible – for everything that had happened now. At the same time, he was very troubled by his ancestor's revelations. But there would be time to think of that later. For now, he was content just holding Naruto in his arms. He didn't mind that he was a vampire. Actually, he was grateful, and he chose to express it to Suigetsu, breaking the heavy silence. Indeed it was utterly quiet in the van. Miku and Kiba were sleeping in the middle. Nagato drove while his boyfriend held his hand comfortingly.

"Thanks for changing Naruto," Sasuke said simply, briefly glancing behind his shoulder, and down at Suigetsu.

With Ino they sat on either side, facing each other. Sasuke had yet to be filled in on everything that had taken place. But he figured Ino hadn't lied to him, and had remained on their side the whole time.

"No problem," Suigetsu answered with a small smile. "I couldn't let him die."

"Thank you," the raven said again in a low, sincere voice.

Suigetsu just nodded.

"Do you have any idea of where Varin and the others could have gone?" Ino asked, addressing Sasuke.

He shook his head, "You should know more than me. You were pretending to be one of his minions for a while."

"Don't remind me," she said darkly, "there was no point in the end. I couldn't even hurt him in the slightest."

"None of us could," Suigetsu commented softly.

"What happened exactly?" Sasuke asked, "They just vanished or what?"

"Yeah," Suigetsu shrugged, "seems your twin back there had the same power as your lover boy. You know, the teleportation one. He disappeared with Varin and Sakura and Neji. Just like that. We don't know where they are now."

"He's my ancestor," Sasuke said, "and he's also very powerful indeed just like Naruto."

"You knew about him?" Ino arched a delicate eyebrow as she looked up.

"No," Sasuke answered tiredly, "I just found out earlier, when he drank my blood… It's a long story – literally. I have no idea how he conveyed all of it to me in the little time that he spent drinking my blood. But he did."

"You'll tell us…?" Suigetsu inquired.

"Later," he replied.

The two nodded in understanding. Sasuke would tell the story, to whoever wanted to hear, much later, when they were well-rested and fully recovered.

The rest of the drive back to Kyoto was silent, save for some comforting words exchanged between the driver and his partner. Sasuke didn't listen. He held Naruto close. The raven felt sleepy too but he wanted to wait to make sure they would be safe.

After all, Naruto was a vampire now, and the sun was a threat. Right now, dawn was near. And it would be one of those freezing cold, yet sunny days. Sasuke could feel it. His body still felt cold and hurt. Having Naruto near was extremely comforting. At least they were together. But it wasn't over.

Varin was still out there. Sakura and Neji were unimportant. But what about Izuna? Sasuke wondered. Which side was he going to pick? Was he even going to pick one? In other words, what happened now? The story which had been revealed to Sasuke was rather confusing. He still had no idea what were his ancestor's intentions. And then there was Varin. What were his intentions now that he had achieved his goal of awakening his old friend?

Ah, worrying about Varin again. Fearing him. Same old, same old… Sasuke let out a heavy sigh, and closed his eyes. But he didn't fall asleep. His thoughts were too troubled. They were going round in circle. There was no point in over thinking things now. Later, Sasuke thought, later he would tell Naruto and Suigetsu the whole story, and listen to their advice.

**F & I**

When they got to Minato's house, the handsome, middle-aged man was up. He looked incredibly exhausted. He welcomed his daughter with opened arms, and she cried as she returned the hug.

"I'm so glad you're all right," Minato said, caressing her long blonde hair. Kiba stood right next to them. Naruto, Nagato and Kamijo stayed at a respectful distance.

The others were waiting in the van. Next they were going to Deidara's apartment. They had to hurry up. The sun was about to rise. But Naruto had just wanted to make sure everyone was all right. They were still his family - bloodsucker or not, to use Kiba's terms.

"Do you think we could stay here for a little while, Minato?" Nagato asked. Even though his boyfriend's life was no longer in danger, he held him protectively.

"Of course," Minato nodded.

Naruto had been awakened when the car had stopped. He'd insisted to come inside but now he regretted it. He felt so weak that he wasn't even sure he could walk back to the car.

"Anyway, thank you so much guys, for everything," he managed in a weak voice and he was about to go, but his father stopped him.

Actually he hugged him warmly, just like he had done for Miku. In that moment, Naruto felt two very conflicting emotions. First he felt terrible, because he was so thirsty that he was tempted to sink his fangs in his father's neck, and the thought was horrifying. But also, repressing his urges like that, it was all worth it, because he felt good. So good that he wanted to cry. His father still loved him. It sounded silly, and so simple, but it meant so much to him.

"I'm glad you're okay," Minato said.

"Thank you," Naruto replied in a little voice before pulling away, and taking a few steps back.

"It's not over though, is it?" Kiba inquired.

Naruto locked eyes with him briefly, and sighed. "It's over for you guys. I promise I won't involve you anymore."

They all somewhat nodded in understanding. No one said it out loud but they all knew the truth. They were helpless against Varin anyway. There was no point in risking their lives once more.

Naruto left. He managed to reach the car, and he hoisted himself to the back seat next to Sasuke. The raven was still sleeping. Deidara was awake now, but he seemed a bit groggy as he sat in the middle of the van. Suigetsu drove and Ino was in the passenger seat. Soon they were on their way to Deidara's apartment.

"Deidara you wanna go steal some blood for us again if I stop by a clinic?" Suigetsu asked.

"No…" he whined, "Why does it have to be me?"

"Sasuke's still out," Naruto said as he held his boyfriend in his arms, watching over his sleep, "and I haven't even tried compelling yet."

Deidara glared behind his shoulder, "Idiot. How hard can it be? Ever watched Star Wars? You stare at the person and you give them orders."

"So I have to use the Force?" Naruto mocked.

"You're such a fucking retard."

"Whatever happened to, I'm amazing and you've always been jealous of me and all that crap?"

"I was delirious," he said defensively.

"Uh-huh."

"Guys," Ino exclaimed, "fret not. I'll do it. For your information Naruto, I don't always compel them." She smiled as she shifted in her seat, and turned to look back at them, "I have my own ways."

Suigetsu studied her face, before staring back at the road. He made a turn and spotted a twenty four hours clinic on a busy street.

"Curious?" Ino taunted.

"You're gonna tell me anyway," Suigetsu shrugged.

"True," the blonde female laughed, "well, I seduce one of the guys – the cutest one preferably," she added as she flipped her hair behind her shoulder, and looked toward the entrance of the clinic. Suigetsu had parked the car. Ino said, "I tell him I'm a vampire, flash my fangs, the whole deal. I seduce him. I tell him I've been watching him for a while. It might sound creepy, but they like it. Makes them feel special," she snickered, "they think it's sexy. They think vampires are sexy. Blame modern culture."

"We _are _sexy," Suigetsu commented.

Ino continued, "I tell him we'll have a secret affair. In exchange he needs to give me blood regularly, or whenever I ask. Men love needy women. I swear. They love it. I've got a few of them back home," she glanced at Suigetsu, "in hospitals… And hey, if they get caught, even if they tell the true story, no one's gonna believe them. They'll never trace back to me."

"What if," Deidara said mockingly, "there's just girls working at a certain clinic?"

"Doesn't matter," Ino replied, unfazed, "lesbian or bi-curious women are everywhere these days."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Naruto said from the back, and they turned to glance at him. "I mean come on, that's gonna take forever. Deidara or Suigetsu should just go and compel someone it'll be faster…"

Still gripping the wheel, Suigetsu shook his head, "It's not that stupid Naruto. She has a point. If we get caught stealing, it's trouble. They have cameras and stuff. Who knows? We might stay in Kyoto for a while. And if we're gonna be pacifists and leave humans alone, we need a blood supply."

"All right it's decided," Ino smiled, removing her hair tie and letting her long pale locks loose, and putting her hand on the door handle, "just let me do my thing."

It didn't take that long. Faint light appeared on the horizon but it wasn't uncomfortable yet. Ino came back a few minutes later, holding an insulated grocery bag, undoubtedly full of blood bags. Naruto felt guilty for stealing this precious resource they needed at clinics and hospitals. But this was better than killing humans. It sounded so wrong but Naruto thought hey, technically, the donors were still saving lives...

Ino had seduced some guy after all, apparently. He stood by the doorway as he watched her leave, his brown eyes wide like he had just seen a ghost, or an angel. Well, for his defense, Ino was indeed being over dramatic. She glanced back at him, standing in the freezing cold in her light clothes, hair blowing in the violent wind, while showing no sign of trembling or shivering. The guy was staring. Ino finally tore her gaze away, and came back to the car. Once she was seated in the front, putting the bag next to her legs, Suigetsu drove off without wasting any more time. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe that actually works."

Ino laughed, "Told you."

**F & I**

They took turns in the shower. Ino borrowed comfortable clothes from Suigetsu, and Naruto borrowed some from Sasuke, since the two males still had their suitcases in Deidara's apartment. They drank lots of well-needed blood. The shades and blinds were tightly shut in the small, fancy apartment. Soon they were all setting off to sleep for the day. Suigetsu had invited himself in Deidara's bedroom. The others assumed the blonde male didn't care since Suigetsu hadn't come back. In the living room Ino slept on the couch, and Naruto and Sasuke lay sprawled on the carpet on the floor. It wasn't ideal but they didn't really care – they were too tired to be whining about it.

But as tired as they were, they didn't fall asleep right away. They held each other comfortingly, their eyes open.

"Your eyes are different," Sasuke whispered, running his fingers through Naruto's damp blonde locks lightly.

"My teeth, also," Naruto flashed his fangs, trying to lighten the mood. Sasuke made an almost smile. It was better than nothing.

"You're beautiful."

"So are you."

The raven made something close to a chuckle, as he rested his hand on Naruto's arm softly. "You know what I mean. You never saw me as a human. I did. And I find you beautiful both ways. It doesn't change the way I see you, just wanted to say that."

"You didn't need to. But thanks."

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm saying stuff like that," he licked his lips, looking down, "I guess you've made me all emotional, saving my life for the third time and all, you know…"

Sasuke was referring to the time Orochimaru had tortured him with the intent of killing him slowly, right after they had met. The second time had been due to Sasuke's reckless visit to Kiba. And of course, last night...

Naruto thought about those past events and squeezed him tight in his arms and kissed his hair. Sasuke smelled so good after the shower. This was happiness, being reunited with him after being so worried these past few days. He smiled. "Anytime… So many people after your sexy little ass, huh? But I won't let them hurt you. Not anymore."

Suddenly a feminine voice said, "Guys, not that this isn't lovely and romantic, and believe me, I feel privileged to witness such an intimate conversation, it's like something out of a shounen-ai manga, you know? My inner fan girl is squealing. But, I'm trying to sleep."

Sasuke lifted himself up on his elbow slightly so that he could arch a fine black eyebrow at her, "Inner fan girl?"

Naruto said, "Don't ask, Sasuke, don't ask."

Ino laughed softly, closing her eyes. Sasuke didn't ask. They finally went to sleep after that.

**F & I**

When the night fell, Ino went out to get some more blood. She came back successful. No one commented. They just drank in silence. They were all pretty much fully recovered by then. Recovered physically, that is, Naruto thought as he sat on the couch with his arm draped around Sasuke's thin shoulders. The raven had made nightmares all day long.

Deidara sat on a sofa across the room and Suigetsu took place on a chair. Ino leaned on the wall and crossed her ankles and her arms. They were all waiting. Now was time for Sasuke to tell them what he knew. Naruto just sat with him, waiting like the others, and of course holding Sasuke and ready to offer moral support if needed.

But Sasuke was strong. He appeared strong on the outside, anyway. His voice was very calm as he spoke, and it was clear he wanted to get straight to the chase.

"So Izuna's my ancestor, we all know that already. He was also a warlock…"

"How come you're not one then?" Deidara asked, throwing his long, skinny jeans clad legs onto the nice black coffee table, "If I understand this bloodline logic correctly you should be right?"

"I'll get there," Sasuke tilted his head, his black eyes ice cold, "and would you be so kind as to not interrupt me? You should know, Deidara, I'm merely tolerating you right now."

"Oh come on!" Deidara protested, "You don't have to take it personal, I did it for money…"

"You don't have to take it personal?" Naruto repeated, practically shouting in anger as he held his boyfriend close protectively, "You fucking shot him in the heart! Because of you, he was tortured, and…" his voice broke. Sasuke glanced at him sideways, his eyes softening.

"It's okay, Naruto. You don't have to say it. They all know what happened. I know who my true friends are now," Sasuke's eyes drifted from the blonde to Suigetsu, and they exchanged a slight nod in understanding. There was pain, too, in Suigetsu's violet eyes as he was well aware of what Sasuke had been through.

Deidara sulked, glancing out the opened living room window at the winter night. Ino spoke up in protest though.

"I was faking it, you know that!"

"Yeah," Sasuke scoffed, looking up at her in disdain across the room, "and what for? So you could have some fun bitching Sakura? So you could fuck that Neji guy? You wanted to live the life for a little while with Varin. You were probably disappointed when he brought you guys to some old decrepit house in the middle of nowhere. No more five stars hotels for you. How sad."

Ino became very flustered. She clenched her fists and frowned but it seemed hard for her to argue with that. Suigetsu took her defense, although reluctantly, it seemed.

"She tried to attack Varin back there. She really did. And honestly, Ino's one of the fastest, strongest vampires I know. It was a honest try but…"

She finished for him, "But you were right Sasuke. All those years I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't understand why you were so scared of him." She raised her hands in surrender, "But like I said you were right. He's unbeatable. I tried. We all tried. Even that… shape shifter Inuzuka kid. No one could hurt him."

There was a heavy silence. Naruto eventually cleared his throat and said, "Why don't we just… listen to what Sasuke has to say?"

"Yeah," Suigetsu agreed.

"Wait," Sasuke locked eyes with Ino again, "I just want to ask something. When you saw me in the basement, you said something like, why are you doing this to yourself. What was that all about? That kinda pissed me off you know."

Naruto kept his arm around Sasuke and stroked his shoulder softly with his thumb. But Sasuke was indeed pissed and nothing his boyfriend could do would change that.

"I was referring to the fact that you could pretend instead of going through the torture. Like I did. Pretend to like him."

"You think I could've deceived him? You think _you _deceived him?" Sasuke spat, "He probably saw through you the whole time. Or he just didn't care."

Suigetsu leaned forward in the chair, looking at Ino as well. "Varin didn't look surprised when you attacked him," he said, reinforcing Sasuke's argument.

"What do you want me to say," the blonde girl sighed, "I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you want to hear, Sasuke?"

He ignored her completely. He said, "Maybe after I tell you guys what Izuna showed me, you'll understand. Even if I had pretended to like Varin or whatever, it wouldn't have changed anything. He wanted to hurt me. Wanted to put me through all that… It was his revenge, you see."

"They did mention something like that when they were talking," Suigetsu said in a low voice.

Sasuke looked up at his best friend and started telling the story, "That Izuna guy, he had an older brother, back when he was human. His name was Madara. They were just like my brother and me, back when I was human, actually. You know, they were always, training together, and spending time together. They were travelers. He showed me images of that," Sasuke waved his hand vaguely, "but that's not really important, I guess. The important thing is that they possessed really powerful magic. Just as powerful as yours, Naruto, I'd say. Maybe even more. The older one was stronger. He wanted to find a spell for immortality…"

Suigetsu's violet eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Wait, wait, wait, are you telling me you're about to explain us how our whole race got started?"

Sasuke waited a beat, then nodded, "Pretty much. It was that Madara guy. He started it all."

Naruto pulled away from Sasuke. He was shocked by this information, too. He shifted so he could look at Sasuke's face properly.

"Then why was it Izuna, and not that other guy we saw yesterday?"

"Because Madara changed his little brother. Now I'm gonna answer your question Deidara. For his spell to work Madara had to make big sacrifices. He had a really big family. They all had magical blood. Well, after Madara performed his immortality trick, all of a sudden, they didn't. He sacrificed the Uchiha bloodline's abilities. Instead he could turn them just like him so they were all immortal, together forever… But he didn't have time. He changed his brother first but Izuna didn't want this. He freaked out. He… was so horrified and he sort of went crazy and he killed Madara."

Deidara frowned as he stared at his maker. He raised a hand as if he were a student in a class wanting to ask a question. "I think I speak for everyone when I say that I don't care about all that crap…"

"Are you insane?" Ino glared at him, "This is really interesting. You have no idea how long I've wanted to know how all of this started. Us. Vampires…"

"Well now you know," Sasuke said.

"And what does Varin have to do with any of this?" Suigetsu asked.

"Yeah, I was waiting for that question, um," Sasuke replaced some black hair behind his ear as he continued explaining, "it's complicated. I told you they were travelers, well, they met Varin when they were all just teenagers. Well Izuna met Varin. And he was in love with him for some reason."

"Why am I not surprised?" Suigetsu chuckled darkly.

"Yeah." Sasuke licked his lips, sighed, and held his head with one hand. "It's all very lovely," he said sarcastically, "from the memories Izuna showed me, well, Varin already had some kind of childhood friend, or girlfriend, or whatever, it wasn't very clear, and she was a witch. Anyway, Varin kinda liked Izuna at first, they became friends, the whole deal, but then he met the older brother, and he kind of liked him better. They actually became… a thing, Varin and Madara, with today's vocabulary, you would say, fuck buddies."

"Right," Naruto swallowed hard, trying to understand, "and that was… before… the spell?"

"Oh, yeah," Sasuke said apologetically, "I'm not really good at the whole… story telling thing. Anyway, yeah. It was before that. They were fuck buddies for a while. Izuna was kinda miserable. He never stopped loving him, or whatever…" clearly Sasuke wasn't too comfortable talking about Varin in such a way.

Naruto tried to speed things up, for Sasuke's sake more than anything. "So what happened when the brothers became vampires?"

"Right," the raven sighed, running a shaky pale hand through his hair, "let me summarize this crazy, fucked up story for ya. Basically, after killing Madara, Izuna was still pretty much insane. He started killing other people for blood. When he regained his senses he went to Varin – pretty much his only friend – and told him everything. He wanted to change him so they could be together. Also Izuna didn't want to be alone, the thought scared him. Varin freaked out and he said no. Also he wasn't too happy that his fuck buddy was dead. Um… so basically," Sasuke spoke very slowly at this point, as he let out a heavy sigh, "Izuna precisely did to Varin, what Varin, much later, did to me."

There was a silence. Then, Suigetsu said, "I had a feeling you'd say that."

"What did Varin do to you anyway, except raping you or whatever, that part I figured out, but…" Deidara said questioningly.

Naruto and Sasuke both glared at him. But the raven answered his question anyway, although indirectly.

"Izuna compelled Varin to kill the people he loved. Madara was already dead. So Varin killed his close family. Then Izuna changed him into a vampire against his will."

Deidara went quiet. Something flashed through his clear blue eyes. Guilt maybe, for the way he'd been talking to Sasuke. Across the room, Ino slowly let herself slide down the wall, until she sat cross-legged on the floor.

"Some fucked up story," she said, "but what about that witch girl you told us about?"

"Turns out Varin didn't really love her," Sasuke looked up rather tiredly now, "so he didn't kill her. It was unrequited love on her part. Actually she loved him so much that she avenged him."

"She put Izuna to sleep," Suigetsu said in understanding.

Sasuke nodded, "It killed her. In that case, the sacrifice for such a powerful spell was her own life. Can you believe how much she loved him?" From his tone of voice, Naruto could tell that this was hard to grasp for the raven. Understandable. "There was a counter spell, like all spells do. After a thousand years, he could be awoken with the blood of his descendant turned into a vampire. Varin found out by reading her journal."

"In other words, you," Naruto sank into the couch. He brought a hand to his hair, detangling a few strands before dropping it. He glanced sideways at his boyfriend.

Sasuke looked back at him. Quietly he said, "Yeah. I have no idea why he let me see all that."

"Maybe the guy felt like he owed you an explanation, right?" Deidara pointed out. No one argued with that. It sort of made sense, sadly. Sasuke had suffered for crimes he hadn't committed.

After a long silence Sasuke crossed his arms, thoughtful. "The only thing I don't get is how he still has his powers. And how you still have yours." He addressed Naruto.

He just shrugged. He had no idea either.

"Do we know for sure people like Naruto are supposed to lose their powers when they become vampires?" Deidara asked.

Ino took this one. "Oh yeah, for sure. I've known many people in my long life, my friends. And some witches out there, they were tempted by eternal life. Giving up their powers in order to stay young forever. For some, it's tough to resist."

Naruto thought about this. It was true. He had himself been ready to give up on his powers, and even on his family and everything that was his human life, to be by Sasuke's side, a vampire. Now that it was accomplished, he didn't need to worry about that, or feel guilty about it anymore. In the end, it was like a weight was lifted off his shoulders.

"They all lost their powers as soon as they became vamps," Ino said simply.

"What if it's a gender thing?" Deidara offered, "Naruto and Izuna are guys so…"

"Oh I said witches but I've known some guys too, believe me," Ino said.

"Madara lost his powers," Sasuke said in an absent voice, again reminiscing the images Izuna had showed him last night, "It's just Izuna who kept them. And Naruto you're the only other I know of."

"Same here," Suigetsu nodded. Now everyone was staring at Naruto. It was rather intimidating.

"I don't know, you guys," he just said lamely. He decided to change the subject. "I just want to say something. This whole story, it doesn't excuse what Varin did." Naruto's deep blue gaze hardened as he clenched his fists until his knuckles were white. "Just because Sasuke looks like Izuna doesn't mean it was okay for Varin to do that. I mean," he swallowed, staring at his boyfriend, "you had this done to you, but then you didn't feel the need to do the same to anyone else…"

Sasuke held his gaze, but something seemed broken inside of him. The dark gray eyes were sadder than Naruto had ever seen them, and it worried him deeply.

"You know I killed tons of people in my life Naruto," he whispered darkly.

Naruto felt like crying. He reached out to wrap his arms around him. Sasuke leaned into the embrace but didn't hold him back.

"I don't care," Naruto breathed in his ear, "we've talked about this already. This has nothing to do with anything. You were lost and you didn't have the will to live and whose fault is that, huh?" he meant Varin, of course. Everyone understood.

"Yeah Sasuke I mean, we all killed tons of people," Ino said softly, "Don't worry about it."

"Ha, not me," Deidara chuckled, "I mean, when I was human I killed some people. But ever since I became a vampire, no one."

"Ignoring the first part," Suigetsu rolled his eyes, "well, neither did Naruto. That's because you guys were lucky enough to have friends with you, helping you through the first steps. My maker was some crazy bitch – anyway, long story, won't go there – and I was alone from the start. I know Ino was on her own too. But we're all good now. Good vampires. Whatever that means."

"Means it's okay to live in this world, I think," Naruto said quietly as he pulled away from Sasuke. Their black and pale blonde hair entangled slightly as they looked at each other.

"But Naruto," Sasuke said, "you're right. About Varin. I always suspected something fucked up happened to him in the past, for him to be like that. But I didn't care. Whatever it was, I wouldn't care. I still want my revenge. Even more now actually. Honestly, I don't give a fuck about Izuna. I just want Varin dead. That hasn't changed. It's never gonna change."

Naruto's dark blue eyes never left Sasuke's. He said, "I know, baby, I know. We'll find a way. We'll kill him."

"Course we will," Suigetsu said, breaking the intense moment between the two lovers, "for you, Sasuke."

"And for the money he promised me," Deidara added.

"And for Deidara's money," Suigetsu rolled his eyes.

"What?" Deidara said defensively. "It was _a lot_ of money!"

Suigetsu replied, "Whatever the reason. Varin's as good as dead."

"Sure," Ino said, getting back up to he feet, "I'm in. Only question is, how the hell do we do that?"

It was, Naruto thought, a valid point she had there. First problem was, they didn't even know Varin's current location. And the second problem was pretty obvious, and the reason why they all fell silent. Varin was next to impossible to kill.

But suddenly a thought struck Naruto. "Hey what if I can attack him now? I mean, with my powers?"

Removing himself from Naruto's hold, Sasuke looked at him intensely. "You mean…"

"To every spell there's a counter spell right?" The blonde said, getting more excited, "What if that's the counter spell. If an Uzumaki becomes a vampire, then he can hurt Varin."

There was a glint in Sasuke's eyes. "Worth a shot."


End file.
